


Ukiyo: The Baker's Tale

by goshinote



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: I swear it has a happy ending, Inuyasha is a baker in this one, Violence, traumatic flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:02:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 84,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27384652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goshinote/pseuds/goshinote
Summary: Inuyasha lives a simple life as a successful hanyo baker until he meets an unexpected woman in an unexpected way. Her new presence shakes up everything he thought he knew, and now it looks like Inuyasha is about to discover that nothing is as simple as he once thought.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 94





	1. The Baker

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from FFN! Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross-posted from FFN.
> 
> Banner by Ruddcatha!
> 
> Calligraphy by me!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

****

**Chapter 1: The Baker**

A quick sniff of the air told Inuyasha that his rolls were done. Their fresh aroma wafted  
throughout the kitchen and pleasantly assaulted his delicate hanyo senses.

_Ding!_

Just as Inuyasha had expected, the oven went off. He rose from the chair in which he’d been  
sitting behind the front counter and headed back to get his items out of the oven.

Inuyasha let the scent wash over him as he pulled out the rolls he’d been working on that  
afternoon. They were last on his list of goods that he needed to bake that day, and since he had  
some extra time, he made a few extra for himself and Miroku, his co-owner and best friend.

“Did I hear the oven go off?” Miroku asked, coming up behind Inuyasha as he set the pan down.  
Inuyasha took off the oven mitts and rolled his eyes.

“This is a bakery, Miroku,” he replied dryly. “The oven goes off about a thousand times a day.”  
Miroku laughed good-naturedly.

“And you give me that same frown about _ten_ -thousand times a day,” he teased. That brought a  
smirk to Inuyasha’s face.

“I don’t always frown,” Inuyasha countered. “Sometimes I roll my eyes.” Miroku grinned and  
shook his head.

The sound of the bell on the front door rang, alerting the co-owners of the small bakery that a  
customer had just entered. With one last teasing glance, Miroku left the kitchen area and headed  
out to the store area to greet the customer.

Once he was alone, Inuyasha sighed. _I guess I should stop frowning so much,_ he thought to  
himself. I _t’s no wonder the customers always go to Miroku with any questions…even though I’m_  
 _the one actually baking everything._

Inuyasha shook his head and peered down at the rolls he’d just baked. A small surge of pride  
coursed through him.

 _I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve needed to look at that old_  
 _recipe book,_ he realized silently. _It feels like just yesterday I could barely tell the different types_  
 _of flour apart._

  
“Inuyasha?” Miroku called from the store. The baker walked out of the kitchen to see Miroku  
standing beside a display of bread.

“We’re missing two pieces of anpan again.”

That provoked a string of curses from Inuyasha’s mouth, resulting in a dirty look being tossed  
his way by the nearest customer. After a quick apologetic bow of his head in the middle-aged  
woman’s direction, he peered down at the display Miroku was examining.

“Why do those keep going missing?” Inuyasha grumbled. “Are you eating them, baka?” Miroku  
looked taken aback.

“You wound me, Inuyasha,” he replied. “I do like your bread, dear friend, but anpan is not one  
of your delicacies I tend to enjoy eating.” Rolling his eyes at the statement, Inuyasha walked  
back over to the cash register.

“We could put in a security camera,” Miroku suggested as he followed his golden-eyed friend to  
the counter. “Then maybe we could catch our weekly thief.” Inuyasha frowned.

“Apparently we’ll have to,” he conceded. “I’m getting real tired of this crap. The same thing has  
been happening for the last month and none of us ever see the stupid criminal!” Miroku sighed  
and leaned on the counter.

“We have to give them credit for being clever, though,” he commented. “They never seem to  
steal on the same day…just once a week.” Inuyasha’s ears twitched in annoyance.

“For _four_ weeks now,” he reminded Miroku ruefully. “That’s four weeks too many. I don’t know  
why I even bother keeping this place open.” Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha knowingly.

The baker had been saying that for some time now, but they both knew that the bakery meant too  
much to both of them to close it down.

And also…Inuyasha actually liked baking.

Miroku stood up and began to head toward the back.

“I’ll look into getting a camera,” he said. “You know me…I always find the best prices.” That  
brought a half-grin to Inuyasha’s face.

Miroku slipped through the kitchen door to begin his search for a security camera on their  
personal computer. Soon after he’d left the room, a familiar customer approached Inuyasha at the  
cash register.

“Did you find everything you need?” Inuyasha asked Kaede, one of his regulars. She’d been  
coming to the bakery twice a week since Inuyasha was a child, long before Inuyasha and Miroku  
had become the owners of the place, so they always tried to be especially helpful to her.

“Indeed,” she replied as she set her usual shokupan and melonpan in front of Inuyasha. “I heard  
ye speaking with Miroku. Ye two have a thief?” The baker nodded as he entered the prices into  
the cash register.

“Yeah, it’s been weird lately,” Inuyasha replied. “Someone keeps stealing anpan. It’s really  
getting on our nerves.” Kaede smiled.

“That could be attributed to your higher than usual prices,” she pointed out. Inuyasha smirked.

“Blame Miroku,” he replied. “That’s all him.” Kaede laughed.

“But of course,” she agreed. “In all truthfulness, I do not find these robberies to be ‘weird’ at all,  
Inuyasha. There is a magic in your bread with which other bakeries cannot compete.” An  
embarrassed blush came to Inuyasha’s cheeks as he added up all the prices.

“If you say so,” he replied awkwardly. Kaede paid for her bread, and with a happy goodbye, she  
left.

“Now where did that frown go?” Miroku asked Inuyasha teasingly as he joined him back at the  
counter. “Why do you smile at Kaede but not at your best friend?” Inuyasha didn’t bother  
looking at Miroku as he put the cash in the register.

“Kaede doesn’t do anything that makes me want to punch her,” he replied dryly.  
Miroku had a laugh at that.

 _I might not smile a lot,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, _but at least I’m funny sometimes…_

o.O.o

After discovering the latest robbery, Inuyasha’s mood soured greatly. He spent the better part of  
the evening glaring at the front door or glaring at anything in general. Miroku finally had to kick  
him to the back of the bakery and into the kitchen to take out his glaring on some bread, only  
allowing him to come back out during closing.

Closing the bakery was sure to calm him down.

Despite the fact that Inuyasha enjoyed baking and, although he’d never admit it, seeing how  
much people loved his baked goods, he also enjoyed closing up the bakery. He got a sense of  
completion at the end of each day. He had a nightly routine, and this night was no different  
despite the bump in the road he’d had.

Like always, Inuyasha walked around the bakery and examined all of the items. He went through  
and gathered up the different breads that had been on display and put them on the discount shelf.

Their baked goods were very popular and sold fairly quickly, so their discount shelf was always  
rather small.

After that, Inuyasha would take out the items in the display window and put them on the shelves.

He always baked fresh bread early in the morning so that their window display would be  
different every day and look more unique.

The last part of closing was Inuyasha’s favorite.

He went outside to get the mail, which came roughly ten minutes before they closed, and then he  
looked up at the painting on the window.

Inuyasha remembered when the painting had been done. It was simply the name of the bakery,  
 _Ukiyo_ , in a simple but lovely font. He and Miroku had kept up with it over the years in an effort  
to keep it as long-lasting as possible. So far, it had withstood the test of time.

That night after they had closed up shop, Miroku reported his findings as they headed up to the  
apartment in which they lived above the bakery.

“So I found a good deal on a security camera,” Miroku informed Inuyasha as he grabbed two  
sodas from the fridge. “I went ahead and placed the order so I’m hoping it’ll be here in a few  
days.”

Inuyasha groaned as he plopped down on the couch in their small living room. _Can’t wait_  
 _to see how much that cost us…_

“Should be just in time for the weekly thief to strike again,” he muttered. “I can’t wait to catch  
the sucker. I’ll have to introduce them to my claws.” Miroku chuckled as he passed a can of soda  
to Inuyasha.

“Or we could just tell them to stop or we’ll call the police?” he suggested, amusement leaking  
into his voice. “Violence doesn’t tend to solve anything.” Inuyasha huffed as he opened his soda.

“Well, it just might,” he replied as he turned on the TV. “No one steals my bread and gets away  
with it.” Miroku laughed and Inuyasha allowed the smirk he’d been suppressing to dawn on his  
face.

At least their jobs weren’t boring.

O.o.O.o.O

_“You mustn’t run around with those children!”_

_The typical scolding made tears spring into the young girl’s eyes._

  
_“I’m sorry,” she said softly. The subject of her angst, her sensei, didn’t take pity on the child’s_   
_tears._

_“Remember your title, you stupid girl!” her sensei reminded harshly. “Your apologies are of no_   
_value. Just do as you have been told! There will be no associating with those kinds of people_   
_during your pivotal training times.”_

_The young girl bowed at her sensei and walked away from_   
_her friends to head inside her house. She heard him yelling at the children from behind her, but_   
_she was too scared to go back and stick up for them._

_“I hope this isn’t how my life will always be,” the girl said to herself. “I wish I could have any_   
_life but this one…”_

At the memory, the now grown-up girl scoffed. “Sensei-sama was right,” she muttered into the  
darkness of her tiny, poorly-heated, sparsely-furnished apartment. “Turns out I really was a  
‘stupid girl.’”

To be continued…

Rather short chapter just to kind of give you a little background before we start getting into  
things.

Much love.


	2. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 2: The Plan**

Three days later, Inuyasha remained in his rather terrible mood. Miroku had given him a long list  
of custom baking orders to get through that day, and Inuyasha was pretty sure that half of them  
were fake. If he knew Miroku like he knew he did, he was fairly certain all those orders were a  
ploy to keep him hidden in the kitchen.

Not that Inuyasha minded. Beating dough helped his mood.

“Hi, Inuyasha!”

Said hanyo cringed at the chipper voice. Glancing up, he saw his young part-time employee,  
Shippo. Inuyasha grimaced at the kid’s grin.

Shippo, a full-youkai child with a knack for selling baked goods, had been working at the bakery  
for a little over three months. Miroku had been the one to recruit him after Shippo had popped  
into the bakery for a treat one day after he got out of school. The child had been dazzling some  
customers with a few of his kitsune tricks, and after that, Miroku asked him if he wanted a job a  
few days a week.

Shippo helped with displays and just the overall reputation of the bakery. The bakery was mostly  
known for the talent of its only baker, but it was also known for having a very cute kitsune child.

“What do you want, Shippo?” Inuyasha grumbled. Shippo, paying no mind to Inuyasha’s bad  
mood, only smiled and walked into the kitchen.

“Miroku told me that the thief took more anpan,” he replied. “What are you gonna do?” Inuyasha bit back a growl.

“We got a camera,” he explained curtly. “We’re gonna catch the thief on film and then I’m  
gonna fight them. That’s what I’m gonna do.”

Shippo just laughed.

“Oh, Inuyasha,” he said. “You’re so weird.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Does it look like I’m in the mood to talk?” the hanyo asked. “No, obviously not. Now get out of  
my kitchen.” Shippo frowned.

“Miroku said I should come and keep you company for a while,” he replied innocently. “I  
thought you wanted to see me.” Inuyasha groaned. _Of course Miroku would put him up to this…_

“Go ask him if he needs you to do anything,” Inuyasha ordered. “If he doesn’t then just say hi to  
the customers.” Shippo, his face now devoid of any frowns, nodded and skipped out the door.

Inuyasha sighed. _What a day._

o.O.o

Later that night, Inuyasha found himself drowning his irritation in a bowl of cereal when he  
caught an intense scent.

“Miroku!” Inuyasha shouted as his best friend walked into the kitchen. “Why do you smell like a  
bottle of cologne?” Miroku peered at the hanyo and motioned to the bowl sitting in front of him.

“Why are you eating cereal at seven o’clock in the evening?” he replied calmly. Inuyasha  
frowned.

“Because I can do whatever I please!” he retorted. “And cereal doesn’t have a hazardous stench.”  
Miroku chuckled.

“I put on the appropriate amount,” Miroku explained patiently. “Your nose is too delicate…like a  
flower.” Inuyasha growled.

“Come now, my dear friend,” Miroku continued as he grabbed a glass and filled it with iced tea  
from a pitcher in the fridge. “The ladies like the smell.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Right,” he commented sarcastically. “Who’s the unlucky girl of the night?”  
Miroku smiled.

“That same one from last night,” he replied. Inuyasha couldn’t hide his surprise.

“You’re going out with the _same_ girl _twice_ in a row?” he asked, shocked.

And unless Inuyasha’s eyes were suddenly in the habit of lying to him, he saw a slight blush  
creep onto Miroku’s cheeks as he took a sip of his tea.

“This one is different,” Miroku explained fondly. “She’s…she’s special.” Inuyasha had never  
seen Miroku speak about a woman this way, and he’d spoken about a lot of them.

“When am I gonna meet her?” Inuyasha asked. Miroku shrugged.

“As soon as you stop frowning so much,” he replied.

Inuyasha frowned.

“There you go again!”

Inuyasha frowned some more.

Miroku laughed and put his glass in the sink before going to grab his coat. “Maybe you would  
find a woman of your own if you would try to smile for once,” he commented as he grabbed his  
keys. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but…well, he knew Miroku wasn’t wrong.

There had only been one woman in Inuyasha’s life. Miroku had set him up with a few girls, but  
none of them had hit it off. They’d all said he was either too dreary or too negative. All of them  
said he frowned too much.

After Miroku left, Inuyasha remembered the girl from a few years ago.

That one girl…she was something real.

 _But Kikyo couldn’t handle the distance,_ Inuyasha recalled. _And with her schooling and me taking_  
 _over the bakery, it just couldn’t work._ Inuyasha had to admit that he did think about her  
sometimes; it occasionally crossed his mind to give her a call and catch up.

He sighed. _Everything happens for a reason,_ he resolved. _But she commented on my frowning,_  
 _too, so obviously I need to work on that before anything else._

Deciding to stop thinking about that touchy subject, Inuyasha stood up from the table and went  
to wash his bowl, spoon, and the glass Miroku had left in the sink. It didn’t take him long, and he  
was so used to washing things in the downstairs bakery that he didn’t mind cleaning up.

When he’d finished washing the few dishes, he went to their small living room and plopped  
down on the couch. He turned the TV on and started flipping through the channels, but nothing  
really caught his attention.

He was also distracted by the lingering scent of Miroku’s cologne that was still permeating the  
air.

Miroku went on a date with a new woman at least twice a week, which was nice for Inuyasha  
because it meant he had the apartment to himself on those nights. Miroku usually returned after  
Inuyasha was already asleep, so it remained quiet late into the night.

The hanyo sighed as he settled on watching a rerun of a random sit-com he liked.

Not for the first time, he briefly considered calling Kikyo.

 _Just to catch up,_ he reasoned with himself. _Not to see if she wanted to get back together…_

He already knew that would never happen. Kikyo had not only become busy with school; she  
also always had a problem with his hanyo heritage. She’d never said it outright, but Inuyasha  
could tell. The only times she was ever truly affectionate were his human nights, and the thinly-  
veiled disappointment in her eyes when he changed back when the sun rose portrayed her  
distaste for his inu-youkai half.

She always complained that he didn’t smile enough, but what else was he supposed to do when  
she grimaced at his fangs?

All in all, it was better that they’d broken up. Things would have ended eventually anyway.  
Inuyasha eventually fell asleep on the couch, only to be woken up by Miroku much later in the  
night.

“Hey,” Miroku greeted quietly. “Sorry I wasn’t quieter. I didn’t think you’d be asleep on the  
couch.” Inuyasha stretched and shrugged.

“No big deal,” he replied. “How was the date?”

Miroku grinned. “She’s a keeper, my friend. I’m in love.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “That was your second date. There’s no way you’re already in love.”

Miroku chuckled.

“Someday you’ll understand,” he assured him. “And when that day comes, I’ll be there to say  
that I told you so.” Inuyasha shook his head but couldn’t stifle his own chuckle.

“Sure,” he replied. “Because that’s definitely going to happen.”

Miroku yawned and waved off Inuyasha’s sarcasm. “I’m heading to bed. Good night.”

“Good night,” Inuyasha replied as Miroku headed off to his bedroom.

The hanyo turned off the TV and went to his own bedroom to change into pajamas. The security  
camera should be arriving the next day since they’d gone with priority shipping, so he was eager  
to get it set up. He was just grateful that packages came earlier in the day than their mail.

Inuyasha set his alarm and crawled into bed, he prepared himself for the coming confrontation he  
knew would happen with the thief.

 _I’ll show them who’s boss,_ he resolved as he drifted to sleep. _Time to catch a thief._

o.O.o

Two days after the security camera was delivered and set up, the co-owners of the bakery finally  
got some answers.

“Looks like we caught our thief,” Miroku announced as they checked the tape after they’d closed  
the bakery for the day.

Inuyasha growled as he walked over to stand behind Miroku’s perch in front of the old computer  
in the corner of the kitchen. He’d hooked up the security camera to pull the footage off so they  
could better see who the culprit was.

“That must be the thief,” Miroku said as he pointed to a woman on the screen. Inuyasha glared at  
her.

The woman’s back was to them, so they couldn’t see her face. They caught sight of long, jet-  
black hair that flowed down her back in thick waves. When she finally turned around after she’d  
put two pieces of anpan in her purse, the co-owners frustratingly saw that she was wearing a  
large pair of sunglasses that concealed the majority of her face.

“That was pointless,” Inuyasha grumbled. “I could barely see what she looked like!” Miroku  
paused the video on her face and stared at her intently. Inuyasha eyed him.

“Quit _lusting_ over that _criminal!”_ the baker scolded, glaring at his womanizing best friend.  
“You’re such a pervert.”

Miroku rolled his eyes. “I’m not lusting over her. I just think that we need to be more mindful in  
the coming days. At least now we know what to look for.” Inuyasha frowned.

“Yeah, black hair and sunglasses,” he said hotly. “It’s not like that’s ridiculously common.”  
Miroku sighed and looked at his co-worker.

“Relax,” he said. “It’ll work out.” Miroku looked back at the screen.

“Although I find it odd that we didn’t notice her,” he commented. “Wouldn’t we be suspicious of  
someone wearing sunglasses like that? She was wearing them inside, but it’s the beginning of  
winter. Very few people wear sunglasses during this time of year, especially in the evening when  
she came.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened.

“You’re right,” he replied. “What was the exact time she came?” Miroku checked the bottom  
corner of the screen.

“She came about an hour before we closed,” he informed Inuyasha. “So, yes, it would’ve already  
been dark. She didn’t plan out her little disguise very well.” Inuyasha thought for a moment.

“Where were we during that time?” he asked out loud. “I don’t remember seeing her today…or  
ever, actually. Do you?” Miroku shook his head.

“Maybe we were both busy with closing duties?” he suggested. “That’s usually around the time I  
start organizing things at the counter.” Inuyasha frowned.

“And that’s usually when I’m cleaning up the kitchen,” he added. “So that must be when she  
comes.”

“I’ll keep alert at the counter instead and just do the other stuff after we close,” Miroku  
suggested. “We should catch her that way.” Inuyasha clenched his fists together.

“No way is she pulling this crap again,” Inuyasha resolved angrily. “This is the last time we get  
robbed.” Miroku unplugged the camera from the computer and put it in its case.

“At least we’ve partially solved the mystery,” he said as they stood up and began heading  
upstairs to their apartment. “Let’s just try to not focus on it too much for the rest of the evening. I  
think we have a pizza in the freezer I can heat up for dinner.”

Inuyasha nodded, but an uneasiness had come over him.

There was something strangely unsettling about this woman, and he knew it wasn’t just because  
she’d stolen bread from him.

O.o.O.o.O

_“Darling, you may not play with matches,” the little girl’s mother scolded lightly. “They are quite dangerous.” The girl looked up at her mother and handed her the small box. Ashamed, she hung her head._

_“I’m sorry, Mommy,” she apologized quietly, a few tears leaking from her eyes. She soon felt a_   
_warm hand under her chin as her mother titled her face up to meet her eyes._

_“Why are you crying, my darling?” her mother asked kindly. The little girl tried to stifle a sob._

_“I did something wrong,” she replied in a wavering voice. “I should have known better.” To the_   
_little girl’s surprise, her mother smiled._

_“You are still a child, dear,” her mother replied. “You make mistakes and you learn. There is_   
_nothing wrong with that. I just want you to be safe.” Despite the comforting words, the little girl_   
_only cried harder._

_“But Sensei-sama tells me that,” she insisted. “He says that I should know better than to do_   
_things that are…um, unbecoming?” The little girl couldn’t always remember the words her_   
_sensei used to describe her._

_The little girl’s mother frowned, an expression she didn’t usually wear._

_“Don’t listen to him when he says things like that,” her mother replied. “He should not have_   
_said that to you. You are wonderful because you make mistakes. That doesn’t make you_   
_‘unbecoming.’”_

_The little girl’s tears finally dried as her mother smiled again. “I love you, Mommy,” the little_   
_girl whispered as her mother pulled her into a hug. She felt gentle fingers run through her hair._

_“I love you, too, my darling.”_

Rolling over in her rock-hard bed, the now grown-up girl once again tried to warm up. She knew  
it was futile; she couldn’t afford heat in her tiny apartment and all she had to cover up with was  
the ratty old blanket under which she was shivering.

She thought about that hug her mother had given her so many years ago; she thought about the  
love and warmth that had surrounded her while in her mother’s arms.

After only a moment with that memory, the girl fell asleep.

To be continued...

Let me know what you think so far!

Much love.


	3. The Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 3: The Thief**

The next day, Inuyasha had just finished up cleaning the kitchen when Miroku walked in.

“Inuyasha,” he whispered. “She’s here.” Inuyasha growled and took his apron off. After  
violently throwing it onto the counter, he walked out into the store area of the bakery.

Setting a glare upon every patron in the room, Inuyasha saw a woman with that familiar head of  
long, thick hair. Large sunglasses again hid her eyes and most of her face as she subtly turned  
around to leave the bakery. Inuyasha could smell the anpan coming from the purse she carried.

He clenched his hands into fists, but before he could confront her with some very harsh words,  
he froze.

There was something off about the woman. He couldn’t quite tell what was happening, but his  
nose couldn’t deceive him.

The woman had no scent.

He sniffed the air unabashedly, which garnered a chuckle from Miroku at one of his “doggy  
traits,” as he liked to call them.

After a few deep breaths, he knew it was true. The woman had absolutely no scent, but that  
wasn’t the only thing.

She had no aura.

It was as if she were just a lifeless body. Not even that; lifeless bodies at least had scents.

It wasn’t until he heard the ding on the door that he realized she was leaving and he had yet to  
approach her. Shaking his head to knock some sense into himself, he went on the rampage.

“Oi!” Inuyasha shouted at the woman, following her out the door and into the darkened evening. He practically broke the glass as he mercilessly swung the door open to race after the woman.

“Hey!” he hollered as he ran toward her.

The woman jumped a bit before turning around, and that’s when Inuyasha finally sensed her.

It was only for a split second, but he could smell a hint of coconut mixed in with a naturally  
flower-like scent. Her sunglasses were still on, despite the setting sun, so he couldn’t tell if her  
eyes were wide with shock or narrowed in anger. Either way, he could finally sense her.

He felt her aura; it was strong and powerful.

Inuyasha couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew that his initial gut feeling that something  
was off with her had been right. That explained why he could never sense her presence in the  
bakery: she’d been suppressing it.

But just as soon as her aura appeared, it was gone.

_What kind of power does she have?_

Shaking himself out of the momentary surprise, Inuyasha glared at her.

“Where do you get off stealing from my bakery?” he growled. “You think it’s funny? You think  
you’re cool?” He used his special _"I’m very angry voice,"_ expecting the woman to give in and  
admit to her crime…or at least cower in fear of him.

She did neither.

“I’m not laughing at anything,” she replied, her voice a nearly complete monotone.

Inuyasha frowned.

“Well, that doesn’t answer my question,” he shot back. “I can smell my anpan coming from your  
bag, and I know for certain you didn’t buy it from my bakery. You better never show your face  
in my store again or I’ll arrest you myself before calling the police!” The woman froze, the  
mention of the police obviously making her nervous.

“I doubt you have the legal authority to arrest me,” she said, shaking off her nervousness and  
ignoring his questions and accusations. “And if you tried, I have the legal ability to accuse you of  
assault.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened at what the woman was saying.

“Who do you think you are?” he shouted.

The woman only frowned at him. “As if it matters,” she muttered. Her voice was nearly  
inaudible; he knew it was only his youkai senses that allowed him to hear it.

Then she turned and stalked away.

“Get back here!” Inuyasha hollered. The woman didn’t turn around, as if she hadn’t heard what  
he said.

Inuyasha scoffed. Of course she’d heard him. He’d used his _"I’m very angry voice."_ No one could  
miss that.

Inuyasha was so caught off-guard by the entire confrontation that he didn’t know how to react.

 _Should I go after her?_ he wondered silently _. Or just wait and see if she comes back to the_  
 _bakery? At least I know what to expect now._

Inuyasha was definitely unsettled by the woman in general, especially the way it seemed she  
didn’t even truly exist.

The baker begrudgingly turned around and stormed back to his store. He opened the door so hard  
that it nearly flung off the hinges, causing every single customer inside to turn and stare at him.

Not caring about service, he glared at each and every one of the few customers before slamming  
the door and stomping to the kitchen. He threw himself down in a chair and fumed at the  
exchange he’d had with the woman.

“My, my, my,” Miroku said as he peeked his head in the kitchen. “Doesn’t seem like it went well  
with our thief.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “She just better not show her face around here again.” Miroku sighed.

“Did you talk to her?” he asked. Inuyasha nodded curtly.

“Then I’m sure she won’t want to come back around here,” Miroku commented. “You’re not the  
friendliest person, my dear friend, especially when you’re angry.” Inuyasha stood up and  
grabbed his apron.

“Keh,” he scoffed with no real bite to it. “Get out of my kitchen.” Miroku gave him an  
encouraging smile.

“Let me know when you’re done pouting,” he called behind him as he walked back into the  
store.

Inuyasha washed his hands and put his apron back on before grabbing bowls and flour to make  
whatever came to mind first. He wouldn’t put them out in the store since it was almost closing  
time, but he needed the distraction.

Although he was in quite the foul mood, baking calmed him down as usual.

At least when everything else got crazy, he could and take his anger out on some dough that  
needed to be kneaded.

And that’s just what he did.

o.O.o

Inuyasha’s foul mood subsided over the next week-and-a-half.

It was the first time the thief hadn’t come on her weekly basis, so Inuyasha figured he’d scared  
her off.

“Um, excuse me?”

The quiet voice broke his attention from the tray of rolls he was pulling out of the oven. His eyes  
widened at the sight of the sunglasses and black hair.

It was the thief.

_So much for that._

Shippo, who had been sitting on the counter by the sink nibbling on a sweet roll, smiled brightly  
at the stranger.

“Hi!” he replied cheerfully. Inuyasha sent him a furious glare before turning back to the thief.

“What are you doing here?” Inuyasha shouted as he set the tray down and took off his oven mitts  
before throwing them onto the counter in front of him. “You here to steal more anpan or get  
arrested by me personally?” The woman just stared at him while Shippo pinched Inuyasha’s arm.

“Don’t yell at her!” he shouted. “She didn’t…wait, did you say she stole anpan? Is she the  
thief?” Inuyasha scoffed.

“Yeah, she’s the thief,” he confirmed before he began to address the woman again. “You’ve got  
some nerve showing up here again. Get out of my bakery!” The thief only looked from Inuyasha  
to Shippo then to Inuyasha again.

“I brought money this time,” she said calmly. “I want to buy some anpan.” Inuyasha glared at  
her harshly.

“You steal from me for _weeks,”_ he shouted, “and then you have the _audacity_ to come back here  
after I told you to stay away?”

“What’s going on in here?” Miroku called as he entered the kitchen. “Why are…oh.” Miroku  
paused when he saw the thief. “Hey, you’re--” Inuyasha cut him off.

“Yeah, she’s the lowlife that’s been stealing from us,” he growled. “Call the police!” The thief  
turned to Miroku.

“I brought money,” she repeated. “To actually buy some anpan this time.” As if to prove her  
statement, she held up a handful of yen. Miroku looked at her for a moment before he finally  
smiled.

“Very well,” he began in a cheerful voice. “Since you’re paying, go ahead and get what you want  
and Shippo and I will ring you up.” Inuyasha’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“But you--I don’t--she isn’t-- _Miroku!”_ he sputtered as the thief, Shippo, and his co-owner  
walked out of the kitchen. The thief went straight for the anpan shelf while Miroku and Shippo  
went to the counter to wait for the thief to check out.

Inuyasha was hot on their heels as they waited by the cash register.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Inuyasha hissed. “She’s not getting any more of my bread!”  
Miroku looked at him with a patient expression on his face.

“She brought money this time, Inuyasha,” he replied. “Obviously she learned her lesson. Your  
talking-to must have worked. Good job.” Inuyasha glared at him and crossed his arms over his  
chest.

“Whatever,” he conceded angrily. “But if she steals anything else, _you’re_ the one I’m gonna  
fight.” Miroku rolled his eyes and focused his attention on the thief, who had approached the  
counter.

“Can I press the button to put the money in?” Shippo asked. Miroku nodded and moved out of  
the kitsune’s way.

“Let her give you the yen first,” he reminded him. Miroku turned to the woman.

“The usual two pieces of anpan?” Miroku teased lightly as he began wrapping up the bread. The  
thief half-smiled.

“Yes,” she replied. “And…I’m sorry that I was stealing from you.” Miroku smiled.

“No need to apologize,” he said. “You’re paying now. That’s all we ask.” After seeing the total  
cost on the register, the woman slipped her sunglasses to the top of her head before counting out  
her money.

With her sunglasses off, Inuyasha got a full view of her face for the first time.

He was startled by the clarity in her blue-gray eyes. They were deep and wise despite the fact  
that she only looked to be around nineteen, maybe twenty-years-old.

Then he looked at the rest of her face.

She had two slightly discolored spots on her face: one ran from the edge of her right eyebrow  
down the side of her face to her jaw, while the other was slightly smaller and ran from her left  
cheekbone up to her left temple. They were subtle even to him, so Inuyasha knew it was his  
yokai sight that gave them away.

The hanyo tried not to stare, but it was such an odd sight that he couldn’t help looking for an  
extra moment. He wondered if that’s what her sunglasses were for...to hide the marks.  
Combined with her lack of scent or aura, Inuyasha could tell there was something very strange  
about her.

When the woman finished counting her money, she looked at Shippo.

“Can I give this to you, sir?” she asked politely, her smile giving away her kind opinion of the  
young kitsune. Shippo puffed out his chest in confidence.

“Of course, ma’am,” the little youkai replied as he took the money from her. As he pressed the  
button to open the door of the cash register, which was his favorite thing to do in the bakery, he  
smiled at the woman.

“My name is Shippo,” he said. “What’s your name?” The thief paused.

“It’s Kagome,” she said with a hint of hesitation in her voice. Shippo grinned.

“It’s nice to meet you!” he exclaimed, eliciting a smile from the thief. Inuyasha scoffed, drawing the thief’s attention to him.

“But don’t think you’re welcome here,” he grumbled. “You little--”

“Okay, Inuyasha,” Miroku interrupted. He smiled at the thief. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s  
not a people person.”

“Keh!” Inuyasha scoffed. Before he could argue further, he saw that the thief was staring at him.

The thief bowed her head. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “But if it means anything, your anpan  
is the best I’ve ever had.”

Inuyasha could hear the sincerity in her voice, but he kept quiet. She’d stolen from his bakery  
more than once, and that was all that mattered to him. He didn’t take well to thieves.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. “You better not pull a stunt like that again, woman.”

The thief nodded. “Thanks for the bread.”

She put the sunglasses back over her eyes before grabbing her bag of baked goods and departing  
from the bakery.

Inuyasha watched her as she left, frowning at the ringing sound the door made when she opened  
and closed it.

“Well, that was interesting,” Miroku said. “Very unexpected.”

Inuyasha frowned. “I’m not dealing with her if she comes back here. Yeah, she paid once, but  
that doesn’t make up for the four weeks worth of stuff she stole from us. She’s probably trying to  
lure us into a false sense of security so she can start robbing us again.” Miroku rolled his eyes.

“Oh, come on, Inuyasha. Does that woman actually give you any semblance of malicious  
intentions?”

The hanyo didn’t have an answer, so he just frowned and went to start closing up the shop.

 _There’s something weird going on here_ , he mused as he went to get the mail. _And I don’t think I_  
 _really want to know what it is._

To be continued...


	4. The Oddities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 4: The Oddities**

To Inuyasha’s displeasure, Kagome returned to the bakery a week later.

He still couldn’t smell or sense her, but when he heard Miroku call her name in greeting from the  
front part of the store, Inuyasha crept to the doorway of the kitchen to peek out at her.

“Ah, here for more anpan?” Miroku asked kindly once the front door had closed behind  
Kagome.

Eyes hidden behind her usual large sunglasses, Kagome smiled and nodded.

“It’s the best,” she replied as she made her way to the shelf.

Shippo greeted her excitedly and began showing her the most recent kitsune trick he’d learned. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stalked back into the kitchen.

 _Shippo’s acting like he’s known her forever,_ Inuyasha complained silently as he walked back into the kitchen to resume kneading his dough, although his movements had become just a bit more aggressive.

The hanyo could hear Kagome marvel over Shippo’s tricks before the kitsune begged Miroku to  
allow him to ring her up.

Curiosity suddenly came over Inuyasha.

 _I wonder if those spots will still be on her face if she takes off her sunglasses…_  
He walked back over to the doorway to peer out at the counter where Kagome was counting out  
the yen in her hand.

 _It’s not that I care,_ he argued with himself. _I just want to glare at her again and make sure she_  
 _knows she’s still not welcome here._

Her sunglasses were once again pushed on top of her head, and the subtle discolored markings  
were still very present on her face.

As if sensing his gaze on her, Kagome looked up at him and smiled, her blue eyes flashing with  
something he couldn’t quite name before she turned her attention back to counting out her  
money.

Inuyasha frowned. Miroku and Shippo were being perfectly friendly to her, as if they’d  
completely forgotten she’d been stealing from them.

After Kagome paid, she spared another glance at Inuyasha before speaking to Miroku.

“Um, I’d also like to pay for what I stole,” she admitted.

Miroku shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Shippo enjoys seeing you and you’re obviously a  
loyal customer.” He grinned. “So it’s completely fine.”

Kagome winced. “Uh, I don’t think that’s a completely shared opinion.”

Her obvious attention to his glare spoke volumes.

“I’d still like to pay for everything,” she insisted, her eyes locking with Inuyasha.  
Inuyasha leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest before glaring at  
Miroku.

His best friend was giving him a stern look that obviously said _"try to be decent for once and_  
 _show some mercy."_

Finally, Inuyasha sighed. “Just forget about it. If you steal again, then we’ll talk. For now...well,  
don’t worry.”

Kagome smiled and inclined her head. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Inuyasha turned around and went back into the kitchen, not bothering to answer her.

Miroku and Shippo could play nice with her all they wanted, but Inuyasha refused.

So he went back to punching--er, kneading his dough.

o.O.o

Later that night, Inuyasha was waiting for a pizza to be delivered to the apartment.

Normally he made their pizzas from scratch since they had the luxury of a wood-burning oven in  
addition to their common conventional oven, but he wasn’t in the mood to do so that night. He  
hated that the thief, Kagome as Miroku and Shippo had started to call her rather than _the thief,_  
had come back to the bakery.

Frowning, Inuyasha shook his head and tried to keep his mood from going down even more than  
it already was.

He would have to wait downstairs in the bakery to get the pizza delivery, so he grabbed some  
cash for a tip before peeking into Miroku’s room to let him know.

“Hey,” Inuyasha said as he knocked on the doorframe. “I’m heading down to wait for the pizza.”  
Miroku looked at Inuyasha over the book he was reading and smiled.

“Wonderful,” he replied, his tone light but also full of...something. “Just like how some other  
things around here are wonderful.”

Inuyasha didn’t know what he was getting at, but he was willing to bet it was probably annoying.

“What are you going on about?” the hanyo asked. “You look like you’re about to pee your pants  
from excitement.”

Miroku rolled his eyes and set his book down beside him on the bed.

“Oh, stop,” he chided. “I was just thinking about how nice Kagome is.”

_Yep. Definitely annoying._

Inuyasha scowled. “You’ve met her twice after she was committing criminal acts. How can you  
possibly have a good opinion of her?”

“Inuyasha,” Miroku said exasperatedly. “She offered to pay for four weeks’ worth of anpan!  
She’s obviously nice. She also held her ground against you being...yourself, which is pretty  
impressive. You’re just bitter because she managed to pull one over on you four times.” He  
paused. “Speaking of that...how come you never noticed her? Did you recognize anything about  
her when you saw her the first time?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “No...this is gonna sound crazy, but she doesn’t have a scent or an  
aura. Every living thing has an aura.” Miroku hummed.

“That’s odd,” he replied. “I wonder why.”“It feels like she’s suppressing it,” Inuyasha  
explained. “When I chased after her, I startled her and I felt it for a second. It’s powerful. I’ve  
never felt anything like it. And did you notice…” Inuyasha stopped himself, uncertain of whether  
he should point out the marks on Kagome’s face.

He shook his head at Miroku’s expectant expression. It didn’t feel right to tell him about it,  
especially if he hadn’t noticed the marks. Kagome obviously tried to hide them with those  
sunglasses, and Inuyasha wasn’t one to spill another person’s secrets.

That was just human--er, _half_ -human--decency.

Before Miroku could prod him, Inuyasha picked up on the sound of knocking on the bakery’s  
door.“Pizza is here,” he said quickly as he went to get it. “We can talk about this later.”  
 _Or never, preferably._

Lucky for Inuyasha, Miroku didn’t try to bring Kagome up again while they ate their pizza.

As the hanyo lay in his bed later that night, his thoughts drifted to Kagome despite his best  
efforts.

She was definitely weird and kind of freaked him out, but he was starting to accept that he was  
more than a little curious about her.

He tried to play it off as keeping tabs on someone that used to rob him, but he knew it went  
beyond that.

Inuyasha thought about how she wasn’t rude to him despite his yelling and frowning and obvious  
hanyo appearance. She was still kind and polite when she addressed him. People didn’t usually  
take well to Inuyasha, nor he to people.

Inuyasha rolled over and groaned into his pillow.

 _Quit thinking about her,_ he scolded himself. _I don’t even know her...and I don’t want to know_  
 _her...right?_

It took a long while for him to fall asleep.

O.o.O.o.O

The girl rolled over and tried to turn off her mind, but her thoughts were whirling around too  
much.

 _I shouldn’t have bought more anpan today,_ she mused. _But I felt so guilty and they were all so_  
 _nice..._

Well, except for the silver-haired baker with the fiery aura and little dog ears. She could tell from  
his aura that he was a hanyo, a strong one at that, and it worried her. When she’d dared to feel  
out his aura a bit more in-depth at the bakery, she was nearly overwhelmed by his incredible  
strength.

He would no doubt have picked up on her oddities after interacting with her more than once, but  
she wasn’t going to focus too much on it. She had other things to worry about.

 _I’ll just have to pick up some extra shifts at work,_ she considered. _No big deal. It’s just until I_  
 _manage to pay them back for what I stole. After that...well, I’ll probably have to skip going to the_  
 _bakery for a while._

She sighed.

She really liked the anpan.

But she couldn’t get too attached. It was just like every other place she’d lived in.

Temporary.

She curled up under her old blanket and sighed.

 _It won’t always be like this,_ she hoped. _Things will get better in time._

To be continued...


	5. The Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 5: The Conversation**

It was hard to surprise Inuyasha because of his keen senses and canine instincts.

On the off chance something was actually able to surprise him, he hated it because it was such a  
rare feeling.

Which meant that once a week for the next three weeks, Inuyasha hated one moment.

Kagome’s arrival always surprised him since he couldn’t sense her, so there would be moments  
when he walked out to the store area only to see her standing at the anpan section or paying at  
the counter.

The thief would always smile politely and incline her head in greeting, but that didn’t quell  
Inuyasha’s uneasy surprise.

He wondered if she would continue to come in once a week from now on. If so, constantly  
coming out to unexpectedly see her needed to change. He didn’t like the surprise of it.

Miroku would toss glares at Inuyasha if he wasn’t being polite enough to the thief, which was  
always what the hanyo was inclined to do.

But she had turned into a regular customer, a _paying_ customer now, so Inuyasha tried to  
scrounge up some manners.

He still tried to keep the interactions to a minimum, though.

“Hello,” he would say.

“How’s it going?” He wouldn’t wait for an answer, though.

He didn’t want to engage too much with her since she still made him oddly uneasy, but she was  
so irritatingly nice that it made him actually feel guilty for not being a bit more kind to her.

The third time she came after offering to pay for the anpan she’d stolen, Inuyasha was waiting.  
When he saw her outside the glass window, Inuyasha whispered to Miroku.

“Go check on the stuff in the oven,” he requested. “I’ll ring up the thief--er, Kagome. Try not to  
mess up my rolls.” Miroku seemed intrigued, but he only nodded.

“But I wanna see Kagome!” Shippo whined.

Inuyasha frowned at him. “You can see her next time. Go with Miroku or else.”

Pouting, Shippo followed Miroku into the kitchen just as Kagome was walking into the store.

When she saw Inuyasha, the hanyo nodded at her.

“Hey, welcome,” he greeted. Kagome, with her usual sunglasses covering her eyes, paused for a  
moment before nodding back and smiling.

“Hi,” she called back before walking over to the anpan. Inuyasha wondered if he’d surprised her  
by being behind the counter for once.

And actually _nice_ to her.

Inuyasha tried to keep the frown off his face, but he caught sight of Miroku and Shippo watching  
him through the kitchen doorway. He frowned and shooed them away silently, so of course he  
was still frowning in irritation when Kagome approached the counter.

He tried to school his expression into something a bit less aggressive. He couldn’t quite manage  
a full grin, not yet, but he managed a decidedly not rude expression.

“Is this all for you today?” he asked.

It was the longest sentence he’d said to her since he’d stopped yelling and accusing her of being  
a criminal.

Kagome nodded. “Yes, just my usual anpan.” Inuyasha typed in the total on the cash register as  
Kagome began her usual routine of pushing her sunglasses up onto her head and counting out her  
yen.

The marks caught his eye like always, and Inuyasha found himself dying to know what they  
could possibly be.

 _Acne?_ he wondered silently. _No, that would look different. These almost look like...scars. But_  
 _from what?_

“Here you go,” Kagome said as she handed him the money, jarring Inuyasha from his thoughts.  
Inuyasha took it and put it in the cash register before giving her the change.

“So,” Inuyasha began as he gave it to her. “Don’t you want to try something other than anpan?”

Kagome shook her head and smiled. “Nope. But if I’m guessing based on how good your anpan  
is, I’m sure everything else is great. I just prefer this. Are you the only baker here?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah, it’s just me and Miroku full-time. Shippo is part-time a couple days a  
week. I bake and Miroku does finance crap that doesn’t make any sense to me. ”

Kagome laughed. “I see. It sounds like you guys have a good system.” Her blue eyes took on a genuinely  
friendly hue, one that he hadn’t had someone other than Miroku or Shippo direct at him in...well,  
he couldn’t remember the last time.

“You can grab something else if you want,” he offered. “No charge. You’re eventually gonna get  
tired of all that anpan.”

Kagome shook her head. “Oh, no. Thank you, but it’s alright.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Come on,” he insisted. “I’ll pick it out for you. Give me one second.”

Before Kagome could argue, Inuyasha grabbed a small bag and walked over to one of the  
shelves. He had something in mind, so he quickly grabbed a piece of it before coming back over  
to the counter.

“This is called boule de pain,” he explained. “It’s French and one of the only things I make other  
than traditional Japanese stuff. It’s pretty similar to anpan, so I think you’ll like it.”

Kagome smiled brightly. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”Inuyasha shrugged  
awkwardly. “It’s no big deal.”

“Well, I hope you all have a good day,” Kagome said. “Please tell Shippo and Miroku I said  
hello.”

“I will,” Inuyasha replied. “See you later, Kagome.”

Kagome smiled once more before grabbing her bread, slipping the sunglasses back down over  
her eyes, and turning around to leave the store.

When the bell dinged to announce her departure, Miroku and Shippo came out of the kitchen.

“Well, look at that,” Miorku teased immediately. “Who knew Inuyasha was capable of holding  
such a long and civil conversation with someone he claims to hate?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I don’t hate her, stupid. She’s been paying for everything, so...there’s  
no point in trying to threaten her into not stealing.”

Shippo jumped up onto the counter and rolled his eyes. “I still wish you’d let me say hi.”

Ready to end the conversation, Inuyasha started to leave the counter to head back into the  
kitchen.

“Whatever,” he replied as he walked away. “She asked me to say hi to you guys, by the way.  
She’ll probably be back next week like usual, so you’ll be able to talk to her then.”

Shippo brightened at that, so he smiled and grabbed a lollipop from his small stash under the  
counter, opening it and contentedly sucking on the candy.

Miroku followed Inuyasha into the kitchen and stood near the sink as the hanyo washed his  
hands.

“What do you want?” Inuyasha asked as he squirted soap into his palms and started scrubbing.

“Oh, nothing,” Miroku replied casually. “I was just thinking about how your... _curiosity_ of  
Kagome is still very much alive and well.”

Inuyasha glanced at him as he continued washing his hands.

“Quit being stupid,” he grumbled.

Miroku laughed and shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with being curious about someone,  
especially a woman. She’s certainly nice to you and doesn’t seem intimidated by your  
temperament. Maybe spending a little more time with her would be fun. And you know...I don’t  
think I saw you frown at all while you were talking to her.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right,” he said as he rinsed the soap off his hands. “She’s just a  
customer. Besides, who would want to spend more time with a hanyo? Well, aside from you and  
Shippo, but you’re weird and Shippo’s a youkai, so neither of you count.”

Miroku’s laughter died down.

“Inuyasha,” he said seriously. “You can’t let that keep you from living your life.”

Inuyasha turned off the water and tried his hands off with a towel.

“What woman would willingly be with a hanyo?” he asked as he slipped his apron back on.  
“None, not even…” He trailed off, the memory stinging a bit.

“Not every woman is Kikyo,” Miroku supplied gently. “Just keep an open mind, okay?”

He patted Inuyasha on the shoulder before heading back out into the store to man the counter.

Once Inuyasha was alone, he pulled out a pan to make some extra rolls for himself, Miroku, and  
Shippo, just to try and distract himself from his thoughts.

 _I don’t know why Miroku was going on about that,_ he wondered silently. _It’s not like I have any_  
 _interest in her like that...she’s just a customer with some weird and unexplainable quirks. That’s_  
 _it._

Inuyasha grimaced as he started on the dough.

_Right?_

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome nibbled on the boule de pain as she heated up a cup of noodles for dinner.

The bread was incredible and similar to anpan just as Inuyasha had said, and she wondered if she  
should start buying one piece of anpan and one piece of boule de pain just to switch things up.

 _Well, maybe not for a while,_ she mused. _I’ve bought anpan a lot the last couple of weeks...that’s_  
 _money I really shouldn’t have spent. It’s already hard enough to afford rent and cheap food. I_  
 _just need to make up for what I stole._

She took another bite of the bread before draining her noodles.

“He called me by my name,” she murmured out loud. “He’s never done that before…”

It was always “woman” or “criminal” or “thief” or just nothing at all.

She wondered if he was warming to her, which simultaneously warmed her and also scared her  
to no end.

 _I can’t be planting any roots,_ she reminded herself as she sat down at her small table to eat. _I_  
 _can’t go around making friends and becoming a regular somewhere._

She huffed and slurped up her noodles, wishing that she could just have one thing to be happy  
about.

_If I have to choose being safe over being happy, of course I’m going to choose being safe._   
_There’s no question about that._

But it was nice to dream a little.

To be continued…


	6. The Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 6: The Offer**

A week later, Inuyasha kept an eye on the front windows, watching for Kagome.

It was the day she usually stopped by and around the same time, and he wanted to be there with Miroku and Shippo to greet her.  
But she never came.

When closing time came around, Inuyasha felt an unfamiliar disappointment at her absence, and he briefly wondered if something had happened to her.

Shippo was, of course, pouting.

"Kagome didn't come today," he whined. "I miss her."

Inuyasha ignored him and went to the kitchen to clean up.

It was a long rest of the day.

o.O.o

Kagome didn't come back the next week or the week after.

Pretty soon, it had been three weeks since she'd been to the bakery.

Shippo had stopped voicing his disappointment, but he always moped a bit when the day and time passed when Kagome used to come each week.

 _So much for that,_ Inuyasha thought to himself as he rummaged through the fridge for eggs for his next batch of batter for a cake.

He growled quietly; they were all out of eggs.

 _I forgot to include those in our weekly grocery delivery,_ he realized. _That's what I get for being disappointed about someone I barely know not coming to the bakery._

Ugh.

Inuyasha took off his apron and walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm out of eggs," he said to Miroku. "I'm gonna go to the store. I'll be back soon."

Miroku nodded. "Sounds good."

Inuyasha grabbed some cash from the register, which garnered an eye roll from Miroku as he jotted down the amount, before leaving the bakery.

There was a small convenience store about four blocks away from the bakery, so Inuyasha quickly made his way there to get a couple cartons of eggs.

When he arrived at the store, Inuyasha nodded at the employee behind the counter before making his way to the refrigerated area that had a small array of eggs, butter, and other basic grocery items. He had a certain brand of eggs that he liked to use, but he would have to settle for whatever he could find that day.

As the hanyo walked past one of the aisles on the far end of the store, he saw a familiar head of black hair on a woman kneeling in front of one of the shelves, although she was missing a very familiar pair of sunglasses.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said.

The woman jumped a bit, revealing her aura.

It was the second time Inuyasha had felt it, but it might as well have been the first.

Her scent was nearly intoxicating now that he wasn't chasing her in a rage. The coconut and floral aroma was unlike anything he'd ever smelled before.

Her aura was full of power, and he was left yet again wondering what her story could be.

Just like the last time, as soon as Inuyasha could smell her and feel her aura, it was gone.

"Inuyasha, hi," she greeted a bit awkwardly. "Um, how are you?"

She stood up to face him, revealing a shirt with the name of the small store stitched on it. She didn't have her sunglasses, but she'd styled her hair in a way that still mostly hid the marks on her face. Inuyasha figured this was where she worked and that she probably couldn't wear her usual sunglasses while on the job.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Do you work here?" Kagome nodded, but she seemed a bit nervous.

 _She must have been stocking the shelves,_ he mused. _Why does she look so uneasy?_

"Shippo has missed you," Inuyasha blurted. "He's been wondering where you've been. He was...well, we were worried."

Kagome grimaced. "I'm sorry. I've had some extra shifts here so I haven't been able to come by." Inuyasha nodded.

"Oh, okay," he replied. "Well...I'm glad everything is okay. You should come say hi when you're done, if you want. Miroku and I live in an apartment above the bakery and Shippo will probably still be there, so…"

Kagome hesitated. "I don't get off here until eight. I know you guys close at six, so wouldn't that be too late?" Inuyasha shook his head.

"No, that would be alright." Kagome still seemed reluctant.

"I won't be able to buy any anpan, though. I'll be an unpaying customer again."

Inuyasha chuckled. "That's alright. We'll probably have some leftover stuff from today. Any excuse to have you come by." He froze, realizing what he said. "Uh, because Shippo misses you."

Kagome laughed. "Okay, sure."

"Alright," Inuyasha said. "See you later."

"See you later," Kagome echoed as Inuyasha left and she got back to work.

Inuyasha grabbed three cartons of eggs before walking up to the counter to check out.

He felt like an idiot for looking forward to Kagome coming that night, so he tried to attribute it to a simple relief that Shippo would stop whining about seeing her.

When Inuyasha returned to the bakery, Miroku was ringing up a customer while Shippo sat next to him on the counter.

"You were gone a while," Miroku commented to Inuyasha when the customer left. "Everything alright?"

Inuyasha nodded as he walked toward them. "Yeah," he replied. "Kagome works at that convenience store. I saw her there."

Shippo gasped. "You did? I wish I had gone with you!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "She's coming by tonight after she gets off work at eight. I figured you would want to see her, Shippo. You can stay here until then as long as it's okay with your mom."

The hanyo thought Shippo was going to burst from excitement.

"I'll call her now!" the kitsune announced as he grabbed the phone by the cash register.

While Shippo called his mother, Miroku turned to Inuyasha.

"Well, that was certainly nice of you," Miroku said casually. "Inviting Kagome here for _Shippo."_

"Oh, give it a rest," Inuyasha complained as he walked to the kitchen to put the eggs away. Miroku leaned against the doorway of the kitchen to watch the hanyo.

"I just think it's nice that we've got someone else," Miroku said seriously. "For all of our sakes. It can get lonely."

Inuyasha paused to look at Miroku.

He and his best friend knew the same kind of suffering, the same kind of hurt.

It was why Inuyasha punched dough and Miroku dated a lot of girls.

"Yeah," Inuyasha finally agreed. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

o.O.o

By the time eight came around, Inuyasha could tell that Shippo was close to exploding from anticipation.

They'd all decided to wait downstairs in the bakery for when Kagome arrived. Inuyasha had grabbed the leftover anpan from the display; it had been a long time since Kagome had been there, so he figured she would be missing it.

There were four pieces left, so Inuyasha bagged them up to give to Kagome.

"She's here!" Shippo announced. Inuyasha glanced up to see Kagome wave through the glass door before entering the bakery.

"Kagome!" Shippo chirped in greeting. "I'm so happy you're here!"

Kagome smiled brightly. "Hi, Shippo. I'm sorry I haven't come in a while. I've been working different hours at my job." She looked up to smile at Inuyasha and Miroku. "Hey, guys. It's good to see you."

"You as well, Kagome," Miroku said warmly. "It's been strange around here not having one of our most loyal customers."

Kagome laughed. "I'm glad my status has improved."

Inuyasha couldn't help but admire the light that shone in her eyes when she laughed. It was such a stark contrast from the usual kind but unsettling look she normally had in her blue eyes. She seemed happier in that moment with them, and Inuyasha knew he was going to be eager for the moment she would laugh like that again.

Before Kagome could catch him watching her, he held up the bag of anpan.

"I figured you were having withdrawal," Inuyasha said as he handed her the bag. "These are leftover from today. None of us are going to eat them and they're not as good the next day, so have at it." Kagome's eyes widened.

"You didn't have to do that," she replied. "Honestly, _four_ pieces? That's too much."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just take it. No one else is gonna eat them." Kagome seemed weary to take the bread, but she did so nonetheless.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "And you're right...I've been going through withdrawal from not eating any."

Inuyasha smirked. "I thought so."

"Kagome!" Shippo said, pulling Kagome's attention to him. "Let me show you a new trick I learned!"

Shippo took the next few minutes to show off his power to Kagome, who applauded and cheered him on when he executed it perfectly.

Miroku nudged Inuyasha while Kagome was focused on Shippo.

When Inuyasha met Miroku's gaze, he had to ignore the knowing look his best friend was giving him.

To the hanyo's dismay, he could feel the smallest hint of a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"That was excellent, Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed. "You're so great with your tricks!"

Shippo nodded solemnly. "I take my title as a kitsune very seriously." He glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed.

"I have to go now, though," he said. "My mom wants me home soon."

"Okay," Kagome said cheerfully. "Thank you for showing me your new tricks."

"I'll take you home, Shippo," Miroku said quickly. "Grab your jacket and we'll head out."

Shippo nodded and grabbed his jacket from under the counter before giving a final wave to Kagome.

"Bye!" he called as Miroku ushered him out the door.

Then it was just Inuyasha and Kagome at the bakery.

Kagome smiled. "I should get home, too, actually. I have to go to work early tomorrow."

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll walk you home if you want. It's dark out, so-"

"No!" Kagome interrupted immediately. Inuyasha took a step back, caught off-guard by her reaction.

"I'm sorry," she continued, trying to cover up her outburst. "I just meant that it's cold out and it's a pretty long walk. I don't want you to have to do that."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't mind, but if you don't want me to then I won't."

Kagome bit her lip, and Inuyasha could tell she was mulling over his offer.

"Okay," she finally said. "That would actually be really nice. I always get nervous walking home alone after a late shift like this."

Inuyasha frowned. "How often do you work this shift? It's been a lot lately, right?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. "It kinda sucks, but it pays rent and all that." Inuyasha hummed and grabbed his jacket and keys before motioning to the door.

"Well," he began, "why don't you come by the bakery on your way home from work whenever your shift ends late? You can have the leftover anpan and I could walk you home…"

Inuyasha knew firsthand how dangerous it could be to walk in this town alone at night.

_If what happened to Mom happened to Kagome, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself._

Kagome seemed surprised by his offer.

"What?" Inuyasha asked defensively. "You surprised that I'm nice sometimes?"

Kagome burst out laughing as she followed Inuyasha out the front door and into the night.

"No, of course not," she replied. "It's just...well, it's been a while since someone has really looked out for me like that. It's nice. I appreciate it."

There was that little blush on Inuyasha's cheeks again.

 _I need to get a handle on that,_ he chided himself.

"Oh," Inuyasha replied awkwardly. "Well, now you've got a bakery full of people that want to look out for you."

Kagome smiled as she wrapped her jacket a bit tighter around herself as they walked down the sidewalk. "Thank you."

The walk to her apartment complex took longer than Inuyasha had anticipated.

It was well over thirty minutes by the time they reached it.

"Dang, Kagome," Inuyasha said when Kagome pointed out the building. "You walk this far by yourself? At night? Are you stupid or something?"

Kagome frowned at his anger. "I would have been fine. I have pepper spray."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You should definitely let me walk you home whenever you get off work at this time of night," he said seriously, repeating his offer from earlier. "Even if you can't stop by the bakery beforehand. I'll meet you at your job or something. Please."

Kagome paused and looked at him.

Her blue eyes had something swirling under the surface, but he couldn't quite decipher what it was.

Inuyasha wasn't certain why he felt so protective of her, why he was so interested in her aside from just the fact that she radiated mystery.

 _What would she say if I asked her about the strange things I'm picking up from her?_ he suddenly wondered. _Would she give me an answer?_

Before he could decide, Kagome smiled at him.

"Okay," she agreed. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

The hanyo walked with her to the entrance of the apartment building before they parted ways.

"Good night," Kagome said. "Thanks again."

"Good night," Inuyasha echoed. "I'll see you...tomorrow?" Kagome smiled.

"Tomorrow."

o.O.o

Miroku was waiting to pounce on Inuyasha when the hanyo walked through the bakery door.

"So," Miroku began, "how was your walk?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Shippo's mom always comes by to pick him up," he said dryly, ignoring Miroku's question. "What, did you call her back and offer to walk him home?"

Miroku grinned. "Maybe. You were quite distracted with getting the anpan ready for when Kagome came by."

Inuyasha scowled and ignored him. He made sure the front door was locked before heading upstairs to their apartment.

"So what happened?" Miroku prodded as he followed Inuyasha. Inuyasha frowned.

"I walked her home," Inuyasha replied flatly. "That's it."

Miroku groaned. "Come on, Inuyasha. You gotta give me more than that!"

Inuyasha was silent for a moment until they reached their living room.

"She's coming by the bakery tomorrow," he finally explained. "And...any other nights she works this late so I can walk her home. I guess she doesn't have a car, so she walks everywhere. You and I don't have a car, but that's because we live in the middle of the city and everything is in walking distance. Her apartment is a thirty-minute walk."

Miroku's eyes widened. "I wouldn't even want to walk that far in the dark by myself."

Inuyasha nodded as he took off his jacket. "Exactly. After what happened to Mom, it just scares me to think about the possibility of the same thing happening to someone else. That's why I offered."

Miroku nodded his understanding. "I get it. I think it's great that you're doing that."

Inuyasha shrugged and grabbed two soda cans out of the fridge. After tossing one to Miroku, he plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

"She's nice," Inuyasha said a moment later. "So...I don't mind it."

Miroku smiled and popped open his can of soda before joining Inuyasha on the couch.

"Uh-huh. Glad to hear it."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and didn't respond, allowing the subject to drop from their conversation.

But it didn't drop from his mind.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome munched on her pieces of anpan instead of making any real food for her very late dinner.

She was simultaneously happy and dismayed.

Happy because it seemed like she was making some friends for the first time in...a long time. Dismayed because she was letting her guard down and getting somewhat attached, and she knew that was dangerous.

But the idea of having someone walk her home at night was comforting. She never really felt safe, but that evening with Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo was the safest she'd felt since moving to town.

Especially when she'd walked with Inuyasha…

She could tell he wasn't as skeptical about her anymore. He smiled at her a little more, and that made her happy.

She really loved his smile.

She was walking a fine line, a dangerous line, but the allure of having people that cared about her was too tempting to ignore.

_Who would've thought stealing would lead me to some actual friends?_

Maybe that was too strong of a word to use, but she was definitely fond of them all. Miroku and Inuyasha seemed like they might be two or three years older than her, maybe around twenty-two or twenty-three, and it was the first time she'd really gotten to interact with anyone close to her age in years. Shippo was still a kid, but Kagome didn't feel any oddness in the precious little interactions she had with him.

Shippo was sweet, Miroku was funny, and Inuyasha…

She didn't quite know how to describe him. It was too difficult to find words to encompass him.

She could tell he had definitely picked up on the way she suppressed her aura, but she was grateful that he hadn't asked about it.

But if he did ask, she wouldn't tell him.

No matter what happened, she couldn't tell him.

But for now, spending time at the bakery and walking home with someone that would keep her safe was nice.

That night, Kagome didn't go to sleep full of dread or despair or fear of what the next day would bring.

For the first time in a long time, Kagome was hopeful.

And that was nice.

To be continued...


	7. The Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 7: The Change**

The more time Inuyasha spent with Kagome, the more he felt himself growing comfortable with her.

For the next week, he gave her the leftover anpan before walking her home. The days were growing colder, and Inuyasha could tell it was really affecting her.

As they walked to Kagome's apartment building one night, she was visibly shivering.

"Don't you have an actual coat, woman?" Inuyasha asked. "That little thing you have on can't actually help." She always wore a light jacket that was barely thicker than a hoodie.

Kagome waved off his concern. "I'm fine. It's just windy tonight. Normally it's not a big deal."

The hanyo rolled his eyes and gently grabbed Kagome's arm to stop her. Once they'd paused on the sidewalk, Inuyasha shrugged off his jacket, which was a bit heavier than Kagome's.

Before she could protest, Inuyasha settled it around her shoulders, making sure that it was completely covering her upper body.

"Pesky humans," he muttered as he zipped it up to her neck. Kagome laughed lightly, but he didn't miss her embarrassment.

"Thank you," she said. "But aren't you cold?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "It takes a lot to make me cold. Hanyo blood will do that to you."

Kagome nodded. "Oh, yeah. Sometimes I forget you're a youkai." Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"You forget about it?" he asked incredulously. "I have inu-ears and silver hair, Kagome. How do you miss those?"

Kagome chuckled. "I don't know. I guess I just don't really focus on it. It's not like it changes who you are as a person."

Inuyasha glanced at her, startled by the casual way she said that.

 _Wow,_ he mused silently as they resumed their walk. _She doesn't focus on it...so it doesn't bother her?_

"Oh," Inuyasha finally said. "Okay…"

He wondered if she would answer him if he asked about her aura...with how much time they'd been spending together and the friendship they'd developed, he figured it might be okay.

"So I actually have a question for you," the hanyo said. Kagome nodded at him, silently encouraging him to ask.

"This might sound weird," Inuyasha began, "but, um, you kind of have a weird aura. Is that a purposeful thing?"

Kagome didn't answer him for a moment.

"I'm not really sure what you're talking about," she replied, an underlying uneasiness revealing itself in her voice.

Inuyasha could tell she wasn't being truthful, but he wouldn't push her if she didn't want to talk about it.

"Okay," he said. "Anyway, I think you need to get an actual coat or something. Walking around in the freezing cold like this isn't gonna work."

Kagome seemed to relax a bit as she laughed at his statement.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

Inuyasha eyed her curiously as they continued their trek to her apartment building.

_What is she hiding?_

"So I have a question, too," Kagome said, changing the subject. "I've been wondering about the bakery. How long have you owned it? You and Miroku both seem kind of young." Inuyasha smiled.

The bakery had always been home to him. His parents bought it when they were poor newlyweds, but it was their absolute pride and joy.

After only one year, Inuyasha's parents had a full book of recipes and a very successful bakery on their hands.

"My parents got Ukiyo up and running before I was born, so it's been in my family since then," he replied. "But I only became the owner about two years ago when I was twenty-one." Kagome smiled.

"It seems like you really enjoy it," she commented. "How did you know you wanted to take it over?" Inuyasha felt his smile falter.

He remembered when the police arrived at the bakery two years prior, having to inform him of what had happened to his mom.

_"Your mother has been killed…"_

Inuyasha shook his head.

"My mom had just passed away," he continued. "Miroku and I didn't want to let the bakery go, so we decided to take over. I was in school for architecture, so I just dropped out. Miroku finished his degree in accounting, and now here we are."

Kagome reached out and squeezed his hand for a quick moment before releasing it. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I shouldn't have asked." Inuyasha shook his head.

"It's alright," he replied. "The bakery is a legacy, so...I guess it's good to talk about its history. Miroku and I really enjoy it anyway, so we don't feel sad about it too much anymore."

"That's good," Kagome said. "You guys should both be really proud of yourselves."

Inuyasha glanced over at her, meeting golden eyes with blue, and gave a small smile.

"Thanks," he replied.

They reached Kagome's apartment building shortly after, so they paused in front of the door so Kagome could return Inuyasha's jacket.

"Thank you for letting me wear it," Kagome said as she gave the jacket back. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Inuyasha replied. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kagome nodded and smiled a final time. "Yes. Good night, Inuyasha."

"Good night."

o.O.o

Inuyasha had his face buried in his jacket.

He wasn't sure how, but it had picked up Kagome's hidden scent.

And it was incredible.

The calming smell of coconut with floral undertones surrounded him as he buried his face in the fabric, and he wished that Kagome didn't constantly hide her scent.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Inuyasha jumped and tossed the jacket away from him when Miroku peeked into his bedroom.

 _I should've closed the door,_ Inuyasha realized, irritated.

"Nothing," the hanyo replied quickly. "What do you want?"

Miroku chuckled. "I just wanted to see if Kagome got home alright." Inuyasha frowned.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just like always."

Miroku smiled. "Alright. Well, good night."

"Night," Inuyasha replied before Miroku left the room.

o.O.o

Inuyasha had come to the annoying realization that his curiosity and feelings for Kagome had drifted into uncharted territory.

Seeing her made his heart clench in a very obnoxious way, and the sound of her laughter was more soothing than he cared to admit.

He could tell Miroku had picked up on it, but luckily he refrained from any teasing.

Inuyasha was still trying to sort out his emotions.

All he really knew was that he wanted to be near Kagome. He wanted to know about her and take care of her.

 _I'm screwed,_ he realized.

He realized his predicament when he was bagging up the anpan for Kagome. She was stopping by the bakery to see Shippo and Miroku before Inuyasha walked her home. He had decided to bake a fresh batch for her, figuring the warmth of the bread would help since she absolutely refused to wear a coat.

Not that he really minded. He would normally offer his jacket to her, which she would usually decline, but there were times when she would give in and let him slip it over her shoulders.

It gave Inuyasha an excuse to have something with her scent on it.

He heard Kagome's laugh as he was getting the anpan together, and when he walked out with it and saw her bright eyes and happy smile, he felt like he'd been shocked.

Kagome caught his gaze and smiled at him.

"Hi, Inuyasha," she greeted warmly.

It was in that moment that he knew he was doomed.

"Hey," he replied awkwardly as he handed her the bag. "Fresh anpan for once to keep you warm when we walk."

Kagome took it and kept the bright smile on her face. "Thank you."

Shippo tugged on Kagome's sleeve to show her a new trick, and when she looked away, Inuyasha couldn't help but keep his eyes on her for an extra moment.

He could feel a frown creep onto his face as he continued to realize just how hard he'd fallen for her. He hadn't felt that way since Kikyo, and even then it wasn't as strong as his feelings for Kagome.

Inuyasha tore his eyes away from her and shifted his gaze to the ground, not wanting to be caught looking at her like Miroku always seemed to notice him doing.

When it came time for Shippo to go home, Miroku walked with him while Inuyasha and Kagome departed in the direction of her apartment.

Inuyasha was overly aware of her as they walked; he fixated on how far apart they were, how she clutched her jacket tighter around her in the wintery chill, how her nose and cheeks were bright red from the crisp air.

He could tell she was colder than usual because as soon as he offered her his jacket, she accepted it.

"Do you not have a coat?" he asked, not bothering to sound polite. "Because it's stupid of you to walk around in this weather with a jacket that's hardly any better than a hoodie."

Kagome's eyes widened at his brusque tone. "Well, no," she admitted. "I don't have a coat. But it's alright, really. We're almost to my building anyway."

The finality in her voice told Inuyasha that she wanted him to drop it, so he did.

But that protective instinct didn't go away.

o.O.o

"We're going to the store," Inuyasha said when he got back from his walk to Kagome's apartment building. "Come on."

Miroku looked up at him from where he was seated on the couch and frowned. "It's almost ten. What could you possibly need this late?"

"Kagome doesn't have a coat," Inuyasha said seriously. "She always looks like she's turning into an ice cube every night and it's getting on my nerves. Now let's go."

Miroku's eyes widened as he got up. "Yeah, let's do that."

o.O.o

The next day, Inuyasha kept the coat under the counter to surprise Kagome. He would give it to her after Miroku and Shippo left to keep her from feeling put on the spot from the unexpected gift.

Per usual, Shippo and Miroku left before Kagome and Inuyasha did, so before Kagome could start to leave, Inuyasha stopped her.

"Hey, um," Inuyasha began, "we have something for you."

Kagome seemed intrigued. "What is it?"

Inuyasha walked over to the counter and pulled out the coat from underneath. He wasn't sure what size she would wear, so he'd just guessed to the best of his ability.

When Kagome caught sight of the coat, her eyes widened.

"Is that for me?" she asked. Inuyasha scoffed.

"Duh," he replied. "Now put it on before we leave, alright?"

Kagome took the coat from him and looked at it in disbelief. Inuyasha could smell tears, but before he could ask what the heck her problem was, Kagome set the coat on the counter and walked straight toward Inuyasha.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she said softly. Inuyasha's eyes widened at her actions, but he soon returned the hug and engulfed her in an embrace.

He was a bit disappointed that he still couldn't catch her scent despite their close proximity, but the feel of her in his arms made up for it.

When she pulled away, Inuyasha felt her absence immediately.

She looked up at him and smiled, causing yet another pang in Inuyasha's heart.

He could have kissed her.

He _wanted_ to kiss her.

But he didn't.

Instead, he grabbed the coat and handed it to her. "Alright, Jack Frost, put it on."

Kagome laughed and pulled the coat on before zipping it up. "It's so warm. I can't thank you guys enough."

Inuyasha shrugged and led her out of the bakery before locking the door behind them.

"No big deal," he replied. "I just hated seeing you cold."

Kagome laughed lightly. "I'm definitely not cold anymore."

The warmth in her smile told Inuyasha it was true.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome curled up under her thin blanket, her new coat wrapped tightly around her body as she lay in bed. She snuggled into the warm fabric and marveled in the kindness of the gesture.

She'd been vulnerable for the last few years, but somehow she'd sunken into a new type of vulnerability.

And she didn't know how she felt about it.

But the softness in Inuyasha's eyes when he looked at her, the warmth of his body when they'd shared an embrace, and his thoughtfulness made her all the more eager to just give in to this new vulnerability that he unknowingly offered. Her feelings for him had deepened, and she could tell his feelings for her had deepened as well.

But he'd asked about her aura, and she'd had to lie...it made her wonder how many more lies she would have to tell. If he found out about her past, would he still want to see her?

She wouldn't think about that unless it ever came up, but hopefully it wouldn't.

Regardless of the risks, she wanted to see him, over and over and over again.

 _Could this be where my unhappiness ends?_ she wondered. _With Inuyasha? With the kindness that's constantly being shown to me in the bakery?_

As she drifted off to sleep, warmer than she'd been in a very long time, she allowed herself to dream that this was the case.

To be continued...


	8. The Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 8: The Fear**

The morning after Inuyasha gave Kagome her coat, the hanyo was in the kitchen whipping up some breakfast for himself and Miroku before they opened the bakery.

Miroku was rather quiet until he and Inuyasha sat down at the table to eat.

"So you know that girl I've been going out with for the last couple of months?" Miroku asked Inuyasha as they started their breakfast. Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah, what about her?" he asked. Miroku smiled.

"She's coming over tonight," he replied. "I want you to meet her."

Inuyasha frowned. "I've never met a girl you've dated. Why now?"

Miroku shrugged. "She's a special one."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Aren't you afraid I'm gonna scare her off with my, how did you put it, 'constant frowning?'"

That got a laugh from Miroku. "Well, my good friend," he began, "ever since a certain anpan-loving woman entered our lives, you've let up on the frowning. I don't think I've seen you smile so much in years."

Inuyasha frowned, which was actually hard to do now that Kagome had come up in conversation. "There, I'm frowning again. Happy?"

Miroku laughed and shook his head. "Sure, sure." He waved off Inuyasha's mood. "Try and hide it from me...oh, wait. You can't. Perks of being your best friend."

Inuyasha couldn't help it; he smiled. "Stupid. Anyway, does that mean we have to clean?"

Miroku chuckled. "The only room that isn't completely clean in this apartment is your room," he reminded. "And hopefully she won't be going in there."

"Alright then," Inuyasha replied. "What time is she coming?"

"Seven," Miroku said. "We're going to have a quick drink before walking downtown to see a movie." He smirked. "And Shippo isn't working today, which means when eight rolls around…"

Inuyasha frowned. "What are you getting at?"

Miroku shrugged. "Nothing. Just saying that you'll be alone here with a certain blue-eyed woman we've all come to know and love."

Inuyasha scowled. "For a couple minutes until we walk to her apartment. Quit being dumb."

Miroku huffed and flicked a piece of toast at Inuyasha. "Why don't you guys hang out here? You want to spend more time with her, don't you? _Without_ Shippo or me around? _Without_ walking in the freezing cold? This is the perfect opportunity for that!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm not…" He paused; Miroku actually had a good point.

"I don't even know how I would go about asking her," Inuyasha muttered. "What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, let's just stand in the bakery for a while until I walk you home like usual.' That's stupid."

Miroku chuckled. "You're overthinking it. We've got stuff you two could do here. Think of something."

As Inuyasha munched on his toast, he mulled over what Miroku said.

_Something we could do here...maybe I could show her how to make anpan? That might be something she would like…_

o.O.o

Inuyasha was buzzing with nervousness the whole day, and he found himself exceedingly grateful that Shippo wasn't at the bakery that day. The kitsune had gotten in trouble for taking his mother's phone to call his "girlfriend" from school so he wasn't allowed at the bakery for the rest of the week.

 _He's taking after Miroku,_ Inuyasha mused. _I hope he doesn't grow up to be too much like the pervert._

The day dragged on agonizingly slowly, so by the time closing came around, Inuyasha was quick to get everything cleaned up and finished.

He reluctantly followed Miroku upstairs to wait for Miroku's girlfriend to come, but the hanyo's mind was whirling the entire time. He barely registered when Miroku asked him what kind of wine he thought he should set out.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku said when Inuyasha didn't answer his question.

"Huh?" Inuyasha replied. "Oh, uh, you can never go wrong with red."

Miroku laughed. "You seem pretty antsy." Inuyasha frowned.

"Shut up," he growled.

Miroku's phone went off with a text alerting him that his girlfriend had arrived, so he headed downstairs to open the door for her.

Once Inuyasha was alone, he took a deep breath.

 _It's not like Kagome and I have never spent time together,_ he reminded himself. _We're alone almost every night when we walk to her apartment from here. I'm overthinking all this._

"Watch out for my roommate," Miroku said loudly. "Don't let him scare you off with all his frowning-oh, hey, Inuyasha." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the obvious joke.

"Stupid," he replied as Miroku walked in with his girlfriend.

Inuyasha wasn't expecting the pink eyeshadow or the ribbon in her long, black hair; she didn't look like Miroku's usual type.

 _Where did they even meet?_ Inuyasha wondered. _Miroku is a meet-women-at-bars kind of guy._

She smiled at Inuyasha and inclined her head. "Hi, I'm Sango. It's nice to meet you."

Inuyasha managed a half-smile. "Hey, nice to meet you, too."

"Do you want to have a drink with us?" Sango asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

"I'm good," he replied. "I'm gonna head down to the bakery to wait-er, to finish cleaning up." No way was he going to admit his plan to wait for Kagome to a stranger.

"Inuyasha is having a girl over later," Miroku gushed, exposing Inuyasha's secret.

The hanyo glared at him murderously. "Jerk."

Sango surprised him by laughing. "Do you need girl advice? Because I can help."

Miroku wrapped his arm around Sango's waist. "That's exactly what he needs! Inuyasha, tell her more about-"

"Alright, that's enough," Inuyasha interrupted. "Thanks, Sango, but I'm good. I'm heading downstairs now. Have fun."

Inuyasha all but ran back downstairs to the kitchen. There was no way he wanted to finish whatever that conversation could have turned out to be.

About thirty minutes later, Miroku and Sango came downstairs.

"We're heading out now," Miroku said. "Good luck."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Bye," he replied shortly.

"Nice meeting you," Sango said as Miroku took her hand and led her out of the bakery.

Once Inuyasha was alone, he breathed a sigh of relief.

_Now to wait for Kagome…_

o.O.o

When Kagome finally walked into the bakery with her coat zipped up and a scarf nearly engulfing her head, Inuyasha's nerves shot up again.

Kagome smiled at him as she closed the door behind her.

"Brrr!" she exclaimed. "I think this is the coldest night we've had this winter."

Inuyasha half-smiled. "Could be." Kagome glanced around the bakery.

"Where are Miroku and Shippo?" she asked.

Inuyasha tried to keep his cool.

"They're not here," he replied. "Shippo is grounded and Miroku's on a date."

Kagome nodded. "Oh, okay. That's a bummer." Inuyasha could tell she was about to suggest they leave, so he quickly spoke up.

"Maybe we could hang out here a while?" he suggested, trying to keep his embarrassment out of his voice. "It might be nice to do something in a place where we're not freezing our butts off."

Kagome laughed but seemed surprised by his suggestion. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

Inuyasha nodded toward the kitchen. "I'm gonna teach you how to make anpan."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Really? That would be great!"

Inuyasha finally smiled. "Then let's start."

The hanyo led her into the kitchen. "We have to wash up first," he said as he began scrubbing his hands at the sink.

When he was finished, Kagome followed suit while Inuyasha slipped on his apron.

"I have an extra apron for you," he said. Kagome nodded as she finished washing her hands.

"Very stylish," she replied as she put it on after drying off her hands. "Kitchen? More like fashion runway."

Inuyasha chuckled and motioned to the array of ingredients he'd pulled out earlier.

"Here's what we'll use," he explained. "I normally use a conventional oven, but tonight we're gonna be a little fancy."

He walked over to the wood-burning oven that he'd already prepared to light. He grabbed a lighter and got the fire going, only to turn around to see a look of pure horror on Kagome's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently as he walked to her side.

Kagome jumped at his question and backed away from him as the light of the flames illuminated the room.

"I just...I have to go," she said suddenly as she tugged the apron off and ran out of the kitchen.

"Kagome, wait!" Inuyasha called as he followed her out. "What's wrong?" She didn't stop at his call; she only grabbed her coat and scarf and practically bolted out the door.

"I have to go," she replied as she quickly made her way down the sidewalk.

"At least let me walk you home," Inuyasha said.

Kagome just kept walking. "I'll be fine. Good night."

Inuyasha watched as she walked away, completely baffled by what had just transpired.

Once Kagome had finally disappeared from his line of sight, Inuyasha snapped himself out of his stupor and went back into the kitchen.

As if on auto-pilot, he started putting everything away. It looked like he wouldn't be making anpan tonight after all.

 _What the heck was that about?_ he wondered. _She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Is she afraid of ovens? Fire, maybe?_ Inuyasha pondered the whole thing as he finished putting things away.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Inuyasha headed upstairs.

The hanyo was laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling when Miroku got home several hours later.

"Hey," Miroku greeted. "How did it go with Kagome?"

"She left before we could really do anything," Inuyasha explained. "Like, she just randomly walked out." Miroku looked surprised.

"Why?" he asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied. "We went to the kitchen because I said I was going to teach her how to bake anpan, and then she just...bolted."

Miroku frowned and sat down on their recliner, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"That sucks," he said simply. "What are you gonna do now?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Well, I doubt she's going to leave it like that," Miroku insisted. "It seems like she likes you." Miroku looked at him pointedly. "Just like you obviously like her." Inuyasha felt his cheeks grow warm.

"Yeah," he replied, not even bothering to deny it.

"It'll work out," Miroku said. "Try not to worry."

Inuyasha frowned. "Easier said than done."

O.o.O.o.O

_She saw the smoke coming through the bottom of the door before she'd even opened it._

_Without hesitation, she covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her pajama top and approached the door. Despite the fabric covering her nose, the smoke sent her into a coughing fit._

_Without thinking, she grabbed the door handle, subsequently burning her hand on the scorching metal._

_Flames met her as soon as she opened the door, the heat of them warming her skin in an unpleasant way and nearly blinding her with brightness..._

Kagome rolled over in her bed, trying to sleep but getting lost in the memory over and over again as if it had just happened yesterday rather than several years prior.

A tear trickled down her cheek.

 _Inuyasha was so kind tonight,_ she thought sadly. _He just wanted to teach me to make anpan. It's not his fault…_

She sobbed quietly. _I should've known something bad would happen. I have to stop. I can't go to the bakery anymore. I just...I have to stop._

The sliver of happiness was starting to die.

She might as well put it out of its misery.

To be continued…


	9. The Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 9: The Distraction**

Kagome didn’t come to the bakery the next night.

Inuyasha figured that might be the case, so he went to the small store to find out if Kagome’s shift had gone overtime.

It hadn’t.

Inuyasha frowned as he walked back to the bakery. Miroku was waiting for him when he entered with a look of concern on his face.

“She wasn't there?” he asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

“Apparently she didn’t go to work at all today,” he replied. “I don’t know what could’ve happened.”

“Maybe you could call her?” Miroku suggested.

“I didn’t think to ask for her number,” Inuyasha admitted. “So...I don’t really know what to do next.”

Miroku paused for a moment. “Well, you know where her apartment building is, right? Why don’t you go see her?” Inuyasha frowned.

“Isn’t that weird?” he asked. Miroku chuckled.

“She ran out on you without an explanation,” he pointed out. “That’s weird. I think you stopping by her apartment to check on her would be fine.”

Inuyasha nodded. “You’re right. Maybe...maybe I’ll go do that now.”

Miroku smiled. “That’s the spirit!”

o.O.o

As soon as Inuyasha began walking, he started to lose his nerve.

 _Maybe I shouldn't,_ he pondered. _But I’m worried...but maybe it’s weird...but we’re friends. This is just...a friend checking on a fellow friend. Yeah. That._

Inuyasha had never been in her apartment building, so he wasn’t entirely certain which one she lived in. Normally he would be able to scent out a person, but since he rarely caught her scent, that wouldn’t work.

Luckily, he saw an array of mailboxes in the lobby of the apartment. Kagome’s name was listed as 4C, so he headed straight to the fourth floor.

Inuyasha hesitantly approached her door, and that’s when he felt her aura.

It was full of power, just as he remembered from the times he’d startled her, and her scent…it was still just as enthralling.

That hint of coconut reminded him of macaroons, and he suddenly had the impulse to bake a few dozens of them just to keep that aroma around him. He allowed himself to bask in the unbridled scent and aura for a moment until he finally figured it was time to get on with his plan.

Inuyasha knocked on the door lightly, hoping he wouldn’t startle her too much. He didn’t want her to hide that aura again.

There was no such luck; her aura and scent disappeared as soon as he knocked. He stifled a sigh and could only hope he would feel it again soon.

Kagome opened the door and looked shocked to see him there.

“Inuyasha?” she asked when she saw him.

That’s when he noticed the stark difference in the marks on her face.

They had a pinkish hue rather than their typical subtle appearance. That explained the usual two discolored spots on her face. She must cover them with make-up.

At the close proximity, he could tell they were scars.

 _But how did she get them?_ he wondered.

The frown on Kagome’s face pulled him from his musings.

“What are you doing here?” Kagome asked, her voice not unkind but definitely not welcoming.

“Sorry,” Inuyasha replied immediately. “I just…you seemed upset last night and then you didn’t come by the bakery today and you weren’t at work when I went to the store, so...I was worried.”

Kagome hesitated. “I...I didn’t go to work. I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Are you okay now?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome hesitated.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I’m fine.”

Inuyasha figured he should leave, but the sadness in Kagome’s eyes was one he hadn’t seen since he’d looked into her eyes for the first time.

“I could still show you how to make anpan,” he offered. “In the conventional oven. We don’t have to use the wood-burning one.”

Kagome grimaced. “Uh, maybe...it’s kind of late now, though, so...another time?” Inuyasha nodded.

“Yeah, of course,” he replied. “Sorry again...I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Kagome gazed at him for a moment.

Inuyasha could see an internal conflict within her blue irises, and the sadness in them only grew more and more obvious.

“I’m not sure,” she finally said. “Good night, Inuyasha.”

So he left.

O.o.O.o.O

_“You mustn’t break your focus,” Sensei-sama scolded the little girl yet again. To her, it felt like the thousandth time that day._

_The little girl bowed, unable to keep a sad frown off her face. “I apologize, Sensei-sama,” she replied remorsefully, her guilt born more out of fear than true regret._

_A butterfly had flown past her during their training session. The beauty of it had drawn a smile from the little girl. It was the first genuine smile she’d had in weeks._   
_The distraction was enough to yield her yet another scolding. The little girl felt like she got more scoldings than actual training._

_Her sensei’s frustrated sigh brought her back to reality. “But you get distracted too easily. You must focus on what it is you are trying to do.” The little girl bowed again._

_“I’m sorry, Sensei-sama,” she repeated, just wanting this training session to end._

_“Do you need a reminder of what happens when you disobey and allow yourself to become distracted?” he asked. The girl shook her head, still able to feel the heat of the matches she’d tried and failed to hide from him, only to be caught by her mother._

_“No,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”_

_“We are done for today,” her sensei replied as he waved her off. “Go meditate in solitude. My time of tolerating your lack of ability in learning how to control your power is up for today.” With that, he frowned at her once more and stalked away._

Kagome curled into a ball on the floor of her shower as the water streamed over her body.

“No distractions,” she muttered to herself. “The bakery is a distraction. Inuyasha...Inuyasha is a distraction…”

But Kagome couldn’t help it. She knew she couldn’t.

Seeing him that night with such genuine concern in his eyes...it had solidified what she’d known had been blossoming in her heart.

She’d already fallen for him.

She wanted to take the risk and she wanted to do all the stupid cliche stuff, like reach for the stars and give it her all.

So she made a decision.

She would take the risk.

Now she could only plead with the universe that it wouldn’t blow up in her face.

To be continued…


	10. The Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 10: The Dinner**

Inuyasha was edgy the next day. He knew Miroku kept wanting to tease him about the frown he was sporting, but the hanyo had silenced his best friend with a few murderous glares before any stupid comments could be made.

He wondered if Kagome would come to the bakery that night or if he should just meet her at the store…

 _Will she even still want me to walk her home?_ he wondered as he took out a tray of buns from the oven. _Did I weird her out too much? It’s not like she can blame me for being worried. She’s the one that’s been acting strange._

When six rolled around and the bakery closed, Inuyasha stayed downstairs in the kitchen.

Shippo was still grounded so he hadn’t worked that day, and Miroku had left a few minutes early to go see Sango.

Inuyasha had a sneaking suspicion that Miroku had planned it out to leave Kagome and Inuyasha alone in the bakery again.

 _Joke’s on him,_ Inuyasha mused as he cleaned out the fridge. _I don’t even know if she’s coming by._

Before he could decide if he should wait at the bakery until eight or meet her at the store, he heard a knock on the front door.

Ears perking up, Inuyasha closed the refrigerator and walked out into the store.

Kagome was standing outside the bakery with her hood up and sunglasses on.

 _It’s barely six,_ Inuyasha thought to himself as he walked over to open the door. _What’s she doing here?_

“Hi,” Inuyasha greeted when he opened the door for her. “Sorry, I didn’t think you would be coming...uh, right now.”

Kagome walked into the store and half-smiled.

“I worked a different shift today.”

Inuyasha was more than a little confused about...everything.

“Do you...want me to walk you home like usual?”

Kagome nodded. “Yes. I also want to cook you dinner.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “You want to...what?” Kagome pulled her hood down and slid her sunglasses up onto her head.

“I want to cook you dinner,” she repeated. “I feel bad that I left so suddenly the other night and that you walked all the way to my apartment in the freezing cold because I worried you. I have some stuff at my apartment I can make for us and, well, I want to do this for you.”

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, taking in the nearly desperate look on her face as she waited for him to answer.

“Okay,” he finally replied. “I would really like that.”

Kagome finally gave him a true smile. “Great! Do you want to go now or do you have other stuff to do? I don’t sense Miroku or Shippo here. Have they already left?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah, they’re gone. We can go now.”

Kagome smiled brightly and waited for Inuyasha to grab his things.

As the hanyo grabbed his jacket and keys, he thought back on what Kagome had said.

“I don’t sense Miroku or Shippo here…”

Inuyasha frowned as he put his jacket on.

 _She doesn’t sense them?_ he repeated silently. _Does that mean she can sense auras? That’s...not a common power for humans to have._

He figured she wouldn’t give him an answer if he asked, just like she hadn’t about her aura, so Inuyasha pushed it from his mind and focused on the night ahead.

He was excited.

When he locked the door behind himself and Kagome, he felt that familiar clench in his heart as they walked next to each other.

“So was everything okay the other night?” he asked. “At the bakery...”

Kagome hesitated. “I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting the...flames, and the brightness gave me an instant migraine.”

Inuyasha glanced at her, wondering if that was the whole truth.

“That sucks,” he replied. “I should’ve warned you before I lit it. Most people haven’t seen that kind of oven before and it can be a little intimidating at first.”

Kagome shook her head. “It’s alright, really. So how was your day?”

Inuyasha took the change in subject in stride, completely willing to try and forget about what had happened.

By the time they reached Kagome’s apartment building, the wind had picked up and even Inuyasha was starting to feel the cold.

He was grateful for the sudden warmth of the apartment lobby as he and Kagome headed upstairs.

Inuyasha wasn’t expecting the punch of her scent when he walked into her apartment.

Once he’d followed her inside, he was immediately surrounded by her coconut and floral scent. He had to physically keep himself from breathing in deeply. Instead, he focused on looking around him.

Her apartment was very small, with only a few pieces of furniture in the single room that was half-living space and half-kitchenette. He saw a loveseat, a coffee table, a small table that looked like it belonged on a patio, and one chair. The cabinets in her kitchen were transparent glass, so he could see that she didn’t own many dishes.

There were two closed doors off the living space, which Inuyasha assumed were her bedroom and a bathroom. He barely noticed that, though.

What stuck out the most to him was how cold the apartment was.

It wasn’t as chilly as outside and didn’t bother Inuyasha, but the hanyo wondered how Kagome could possibly live comfortably in the apartment when it felt like there wasn’t any heat flowing through it at all.

“It’s a bit small,” Kagome admitted. “But it’s...cozy, I guess. I’ll make some tea for us before I start cooking, okay?”

Inuyasha nodded and went to sit down at her small table.

“I can only cook one thing,” Kagome admitted as she put the kettle on. “I hope you like omelettes.”

Inuyasha chuckled, his attention quickly being pulled by his observations of the apartment.

“Omelettes are great,” he assured her. Kagome smiled again as she started grabbing the things she’d need to cook.

“Where did you learn to make them?” Inuyasha asked.

“Uh,” Kagome began as she started cracking eggs into a pan. “My mom taught me when I was little. I was...ten, maybe? It was the only thing I didn’t hate to cook.” Inuyasha chuckled.

“So your skills in the kitchen are lacking?” he teased lightly. Kagome laughed.

“Just a bit,” she replied with a smirk. “We can’t all be you.”

The smell of the seasonings mixing with the omelettes wafted through the air, reminding Inuyasha of how hungry he was. Kagome had come before he could start making dinner, so he was grateful she’d offered to cook.

When the omelettes were done, Kagome put them onto plates before grabbing two cups to put the tea in.

“I only have one chair,” she said awkwardly, “so we’ll have to sit on the loveseat. Is that okay?” Inuyasha nodded and stood up.

“Sure,” he replied as he took his plate and cup of tea. “Thanks.”

They sat down on the loveseat, which was fairly small but still gave them enough room to sit comfortably with their food.

Inuyasha took a bite of the omelette and barely stifled a moan.

“This is the best omelette I’ve ever had,” he complimented sincerely. “It’s so good.”

Kagome smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. You make so much anpan for me, so it’s the least I could do.”

“I like making anpan,” Inuyasha replied. “So...it’s good that you like eating it.” Kagome laughed lightly.

“I definitely do.”

They finished eating while keeping up a steady conversation about the customers Inuyasha had seen today and how Shippo had gotten grounded.

“Oh, my goodness!” Kagome exclaimed, amused, when Inuyasha told her what happened with Shippo. “He really did that?”

Inuyasha nodded. “I know he seems like he’s always a perfect kid, but he can be a little snot sometimes.” Kagome burst out laughing.

“I’m glad I’ve only seen the good side, then,” Kagome said. Inuyasha smiled.

“His birthday is actually coming up next week,” Inuyasha explained. “I think that’s why his mom didn’t ground him longer.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up. “Are you baking a cake for him?” At Inuyasha’s nod, she squealed quietly.

“Can I help you with it?”

Inuyasha nodded again. “Sure. You should come over when we celebrate with him. It’s just going to be me, Miroku, and Shippo, but I’m sure he would love it if you could come.” Inuyasha blushed. “Um...I would like it if you could come, too.”

Kagome was sporting a very similar blush. “Sure, I’ll come. What day?”

“Saturday,” Inuyasha replied. “His actual birthday is next Friday, but we’re celebrating on Saturday when he’s off school and the bakery is closed. He’ll be with his parents that night to have their own celebration, so that’s when I’m making the cake so he won’t see it. If you want to stay at the bakery to help for a while before we walk back here, that might be fun.”

Kagome smiled excitedly. “That all sounds great. I’m so excited!” She reached out and took Inuyasha’s hand. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Inuyasha had to physically attempt to keep himself from blushing as he held Kagome’s hand firmly in his.

“Of course we invited you, woman,” he said. “We always want you around.” Kagome’s smile was small, but Inuyasha could tell how much his words meant to her.

o.O.o

A couple hours later after they’d washed the dishes and talked a while longer on the couch, Inuyasha decided he should head out.

Kagome walked with him to the door before smiling up at him after she’d opened it.

“This might be stupid because I haven’t asked sooner,” Inuyasha said before saying good night. “But could we swap phone numbers? I realized we haven’t done that…”

Kagome nodded. “Of course. Do you have your phone? I can put my number in and you can just text me that it’s you.” Inuyasha pulled out his phone and opened the contacts app before handing it to Kagome.

She handed it back to him after putting her information in.

“Thanks,” Inuyasha said as he put the phone back in his pocket. “See you tomorrow?” Kagome nodded.

“Tomorrow,” she echoed.

The temptation was too great with her smiling at him like that, so Inuyasha reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Kagome hugged him back tightly, and Inuyasha remembered the first time they’d hugged after he gave her the coat.

He held her longer than he probably should have, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

When he finally let her go, he smiled.

“Good night,” he said.

“Good night,” she replied.

It was a long while before he stopped smiling.

o.O.o

Inuyasha should have expected that Miroku would be waiting for him when he got home, he really should have, but his best friend still managed to surprise him from his perch on the couch.

“How did it go with Kagome?” Miroku asked immediately.

Inuyasha frowned. “How do you even know that I was with her?”

Miroku rolled his eyes. “Sango has to work early tomorrow so we called it a night around nine. You weren’t here when I got back, so I made some assumptions. Judging by the look on your face, I think it’s safe to say you were with Kagome.”

Inuyasha grimaced. “Yes, fine. I was with her. She cooked me dinner because she felt bad about leaving the other night.”

Miroku grinned. “Uh-huh. So was it a date?”

Inuyasha froze. _Was it? We didn’t really label it, but after that hug...I think maybe it was._

“I’m not sure,” Inuyasha admitted. “I kinda think it was...maybe? Anyway, she’s going to come next Saturday to celebrate Shippo’s birthday with us.”

“That’s great!” Miroku exclaimed. “I’m sure Shippo will love that.”

“Yeah, I’m going to bed now.”

Miroku chuckled as Inuyasha went to the bathroom to get ready for bed before heading into his bedroom.

When the door was shut, he pulled out his phone to text Kagome.

**Hey, it’s Inuyasha.**

A moment later, his phone pinged.

**Hey, it’s Kagome.**

Inuyasha chuckled.

**Funny. Good night again.**

**Good night.**

After setting his alarm for the next morning, Inuyasha plopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

It was a long while before he fell asleep with a certain pair of blue eyes shining in his mind.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome was still buzzing long after Inuyasha left.

She wrapped herself in her coat and curled up under her blanket, the warmth of Inuyasha’s embrace still permeating her body.

_Was that a date? It definitely felt like a date...and I kind of meant it as one…_

Regardless of whether it was a date or not, she knew she was in deep with him.

It scared her to open up to him, to let him get so close to her.

But she trusted him and Miroku and Shippo, and now that there was something real blooming between herself and Inuyasha, Kagome wanted to let herself be happy.

She was already getting there.

To be continued…


	11. The Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 11: The Cake**

Every night when Inuyasha walked Kagome home, he felt something in his heart get deeper and deeper, warmer and warmer.He and Kagome hadn’t had a chance to spend much more time alone together at the bakery since she was working her later shift, but their walks to her building still held more significance to Inuyasha every night.

It’s what gave him the courage the night before they were going to make Shippo’s birthday cake.

As they walked to her apartment, Inuyasha reached down and grabbed one of her hands.

Kagome looked at him in surprise, but soon laced her fingers with his and kept a firm grip.

“Your hand looked cold,” Inuyasha said, knowing his excuse was lame but, hey, it still got the job done. “So...is this okay?”

Kagome smiled. “Yes. It helps.”

Holding her hand was simple, but the sensation of her palm against his was like a wave crashing into him.

His feelings for her seemed to grow more by the second, and if the way she tightly held onto his hand and moved to walk a bit closer to him or the way she hugged him twice every night was any indication, he was willing to believe her feelings for him were growing, too.

And it was nice.

o.O.o

The next day, Kagome came to the bakery at six, having swapped her shift with another employee the week prior so that she could help with the cake. Inuyasha hadn’t told Shippo that Kagome would be coming for his small celebration, hoping to give the kitsune a special surprise.

Since Kagome didn’t get to see Shippo on his birthday, she’d told Inuyasha she was especially excited to be able to come the next day.

As usual, Kagome hugged Inuyasha when she arrived, and Inuyasha, as usual, was reluctant to let her go.

“I make really good cakes,” Inuyasha said as he took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

Kagome laughed. “I should hope so, baker boy.” Inuyasha chuckled and went to wash his hands.

Kagome slipped her coat off and set it on the back of one of the chairs at the table on which Inuyasha kept his orders for the week.

When Inuyasha was finished washing his hands, he slipped on his apron while Kagome washed her own hands.

He really hoped she wouldn’t leave this time.

“Here’s your apron,” he said when she finished washing her hands. Kagome put it on and tied it around the back before smoothing it out.

“I forgot how good you look in it,” Inuyasha said without really thinking. Kagome blushed immediately, and Inuyasha soon followed.

“Er, uh, I didn't mean for that to sound so weird,” he said quickly. Kagome laughed at their shared embarrassment.

“It’s okay,” she replied. “Thank you. I like your apron look, too.”

Inuyasha smiled. “The cake takes a while to bake and then cool, so I already did that. We just have to decorate it with icing and stuff. I didn’t want to keep you out too late since it seems like it gets colder every day.”

Kagome nodded. “That sounds good. How are we going to decorate it?”

“Shippo’s fox fire is blue,” Inuyasha explained. “So I was thinking about doing some blue flames like them.”

Kagome clapped her hands together in delight. “That sounds adorable. I’m so excited to help.”

o.O.o

It took a little while for Inuyasha and Kagome to get the blue coloring right with the icing, and by the time they’d gotten it perfect, their hands were dyed completely blue.

Eventually, they were ready to start decorating it.

“So can you tell me more about the bakery?” Kagome asked as Inuyasha worked on the base frosting for the cake. “I know we’ve talked about it before, but I’m still curious about some stuff.”

Inuyasha was hesitant to tell her because some of the memories were a little painful.

 _This is Kagome,_ he reminded himself. _I can trust her._

“I mentioned before that my parents started it,” he finally began to explain. “My mom got pregnant with me soon after they got married, so they took the small amount of money they had saved up and bought the place. I have a half-brother that’s thirteen years older than me. He didn’t like me or my mother so he went to live with his mom right before my parents got married, so it was just the three of us living in the apartment upstairs together.

“My parents both came from wealthy families, but neither set of their families approved of the marriage. My dad’s inu-youkai family didn’t want him to marry a human and my mom’s parents didn’t want her to marry a youkai. They were both cut off from their families, so they had almost no money when they got married.  
“But they didn’t care,” he continued. “My mom loved baking ever since she was a little girl, so over the years she’d compiled a book of her baking creations. Those recipes are the ones I use to this day.” Inuyasha smiled.

“Baking them is comforting,” he admitted. “It feels like my mom is back with me.” Inuyasha felt arms wrap around him from behind.

Setting down his frosting tool, Inuyasha turned in Kagome’s embrace to return it with his own fervor.

“They named it Ukiyo,” he murmured into her hair, “because they wanted it to be our own special place. They knew that being a hanyo would be hard, so they named the bakery Ukiyo to remind me that we had a world of our own.”

“That’s beautiful, Inuyasha,” she replied, her voice muffled a bit by his shirt. Inuyasha closed his eyes, marveling in the way she felt against him.

He caught a sweet scent in her hair, but he knew it wasn’t hers from the couple times he'd smelled it. With one look down at her head, he chuckled.

“I got some frosting in your hair,” he admitted as he let her go. Kagome laughed and reached up to try and get it out of her long locks.

Inuyasha grabbed a dish rag from one of the drawers and dampened it in the sink. He was quick to start wiping the frosting out of her hair.

“So how long have you and Miroku known each other?” Kagome asked. Inuyasha chuckled.

“Way too long,” he joked. “Since we were in preschool. He didn’t really fit in too well when we were kids. His parents died when he was young, so he was raised by a friend of his dad’s. Mushin was a good guy, but he wasn’t fatherly, you know? Miroku had trouble as a kid, but he turned out to be okay. Mushin died about a year ago, so we don’t really talk about him much anymore.”

“That’s so sad,” Kagome replied. “But I’m glad you guys were able to become such good friends. Did you fit in when you were a kid?” Inuyasha shook his head.

“Not really,” he replied. “Kids didn’t want to hang out with a hanyo. That’s why Miroku and I became friends. Two outcasts teaming up made for a good friendship.” Kagome smiled.

“Being weird,” she commented. “The perfect thing to have in common.” Inuyasha smirked at her.

“So what about you?” he asked as he got the last little bit of frosting out of her hair. “What’s your family like? How did you wind up here?” Kagome looked away from him.

“They were pretty normal,” she replied. “I came here to start life on my own. I’ve never had any animosity in my family, but…I needed to get away.” Inuyasha finished his task of getting the frosting out of her hair and went to rinse the rag.

“Why did you need to get away?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome hesitated.

“I’m from a small town,” she explained. “Everyone knows each other. I wanted to see what life was like in the city. You know, a more populated area.” Inuyasha nodded.

He set the rag on the back of the sink and turned around to face Kagome as he leaned back against the counter and gazed at her.

“Do you ever get to visit home?” he asked.

Kagome shook her head.

“Is your family ever able to visit you?” he asked. Kagome shook her head again.

It was obvious that Kagome was feeling either uncomfortable or upset about the subject. Inuyasha could tell that something was a bit off as she spoke about her family, but he decided to leave it be.

 _Maybe she misses them,_ he mused to himself. _Talking about them probably upsets her._

Upon realizing that, he changed the subject.

“Well,” he began, “you know what isn’t difficult? Finishing up with this cake and then cooking dinner.” Kagome feigned surprise.

“You can cook, too?” she asked. “I thought you could only bake.” Inuyasha feigned offense.

“Wow,” he replied as he picked up the icing tool again. “I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that.” Kagome laughed.

“What are we having?” she asked.

Inuyasha grabbed some fondant and started forming the flames for the cake. “I’m gonna make fettuccine alfredo,” he explained. “It’s Italian and it’s really good. I don’t know how to make the sauce, so it’s from a jar. I can’t take credit for that. But I do make the noodles from scratch. That’s all me.” Kagome smiled.

“Will you show me how to make it when we’re done with the cake?” she asked. Inuyasha nodded and they got back to work on frosting the cake.

As they continued working on it, Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and couldn’t help but think how good she looked in his kitchen.

o.O.o

Two hours later, Kagome and Inuyasha had finished decorating the cake and cooking dinner. Inuyasha swore that Kagome said how delicious it was about thirty times after they’d sat down at the table and began eating.

“It’s so good,” she repeated. “I think I only like you because of your talents in the kitchen.” Inuyasha chuckled.

“You like me?” he teased. “Wow, what a way to admit it.”

Kagome laughed. “As if you didn’t already know...but you like me, too, so it’s fine...right?” Inuyasha smirked.

“Duh, woman,” he replied. “I bake for everyone, but I don’t cook for just anyone.” Inuyasha hesitated. “I’m a little surprised I didn’t scare you away, though…”

Kagome smiled. “You mean with your ‘I’ll arrest you myself’ line?”

Inuyasha blushed. “Uh...well, yeah.” Kagome laughed and shook her head.

“It’s okay,” she comforted. “I don’t even think about that anymore, honestly.”

Inuyasha breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Okay, that’s good to hear. I would be, uh, pretty embarrassed if that was replaying in your mind every day.”

Kagome laughed again and shook her head, eliciting a full smile from Inuyasha as he took another bite of their dinner.

His feelings for her were unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, and he wondered if this was how his parents felt when they found each other.

By the time they’d finished dinner, Inuyasha could still feel that stupid smile on his face.

He caught Kagome peering at him across the table.

“What?” Inuyasha asked when he noticed. Kagome shook her head.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I just…well, you have a really nice smile.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened and he nearly choked on his food.

_She’s the first person to say that since my mother died._

Inuyasha had so many things he wanted to say to her in that moment, but nothing felt like it would come across as deeply as he wanted it to.

“Thanks,” was all he said. “So do you.” Kagome grinned at him as she picked up both of their plates. She got up and walked over to the sink and set them in it.

She turned back to Inuyasha and smiled again. “I’ll wash and you dry?” she suggested. As if in a trance, Inuyasha could only nod and get up to follow her over to the sink.

Watching her in his kitchen, with suds going nearly all the way up her arms, he felt an epiphany wash over him.

_Is this love?_

“What’s wrong?” Kagome asked, catching his eye.

Inuyasha shook his head. “Nothing. Thanks for helping with the cake.”

Kagome smiled. “Of course. I’m excited to see Shippo’s reaction to it.”

Once they’d finished cleaning up, they grabbed their coats and departed from the bakery to head to Kagome’s apartment.

Inuyasha took her hand as soon as they left, and she held onto it tightly before wrapping her free hand around his arm.

The motion had her pressed fairly close to his side, and Inuyasha felt the overwhelming urge to take her back to the bakery, set her up on the counter, and kiss her senseless.

He didn’t, though. That might be a bit much.

The wind was blowing fairly hard, so they weren’t able to talk too much as they walked.

When they finally reached Kagome’s apartment building, she didn’t let go of his arm.

“Do you want to come in for a little while?” she asked. “I know it’s getting a little late, but I can quickly make some tea.” Inuyasha nodded, not ready to end their time together.

“Sure,” he replied following her into the building.

Kagome let go of his hand when they reached her apartment so she could unlock the door.

Upon entering, Inuyasha was struck immediately with how cold it was.

“It’s freezing in here, Kagome,” he exclaimed. “How are you not a block of ice from living here?”

Kagome frowned. “It’s not that bad. I have a heater in my bedroom that I use at night. I’ll go turn it on and it’ll warm up the apartment in a few minutes.”

Inuyasha went and sat down on the loveseat while Kagome opened her bedroom door and walked in.

From where he sat, he could see directly in the room, and the sight made his eyes widen.

Her bed was a simple twin-sized mattress on the floor with no bedframe and a single thin blanket on it.

 _Is that the only blanket she has?_ he wondered silently. _She must be miserable at night._

“Okay, it’s on,” Kagome said when she returned. “I’ll go start the tea.”

Inuyasha got up to follow her to the other side of the apartment so he could sit down at her small table.

“So what kind of gift do you think I should get Shippo?” Kagome asked. “I was thinking of a special pouch for all of the toys he uses for his tricks. His little pockets always look like they’re about to burst.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “I think that would be a great idea. I would offer to come with you to shop, but I’m going to be cooking lasagna before Shippo comes at noon. It’s his favorite food that I make but it takes a while to prep and bake.”

Kagome smiled. “That’s okay. What time should I come?”

“Eleven-thirty?” Inuyasha suggested. “Then you’ll be there to surprise him.”

“Great!” Kagome replied. “I’m so excited.”

Kagome finished the tea soon after, so they moved to the loveseat to drink their cups as they talked a bit more about the celebration for the next day.

Once they’d finished their tea and talked a while, Inuyasha figured he should head back to the bakery.

It was nearing eleven, and Inuyasha was planning to get up extra early in the morning to make the lasagna.

“I should head out,” he said somewhat reluctantly. “It’s gonna be a busy day tomorrow.” Kagome nodded and got up to follow him to the door.

She smiled up at Inuyasha before he left.

“Good night,” she said warmly.

Inuyasha smiled down at her before tugging her into his arms.

“Good night,” he murmured into her hair.

When they pulled away, Inuyasha kept her close.

_I want to kiss her...would that be okay?_

Never good with reading signals, Inuyasha leaned down and just gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek.

“See you tomorrow,” he said as he left.

“Bye,” Kagome replied with a small smile.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome barely slept that night.

Not because she was cold or worried or sad, but because she was excited about the next day.

Kagome was genuinely happy, and she knew it was all because of a certain baker and the others from the bakery.

_His lips felt so soft…_

She’d been hoping he’d give her an actual kiss, but she was fine with the soft one she’d gotten on her cheek.

Kagome snuggled into her coat and adjusted the blanket over her body. She was grateful that she’d bought the small battery-operated heater with the money she’d made from the extra shifts she’d been working as well as saved from not buying anpan, but it almost felt like she didn’t even need it to keep warm.

 _I’m so happy,_ she mused. _I didn’t think I could ever be this happy again…_

She hoped it would last.

To be continued…


	12. The Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 12: The Celebration**

Inuyasha put the lasagna in the oven and set the timer before heading upstairs. He’d made a large pan of it, so he’d opted to use the big oven in the bakery kitchen rather than the slightly smaller oven in their upstairs kitchenette.

He found Miroku sitting on the couch with Shippo’s present on the coffee table in front of him.

“I found a gift bag,” Miroku said when Inuyasha entered the room. “It should be big enough for all this.” They’d gotten him a few kitsune toys that Inuyasha had ordered from an online youkai store. He was sure Shippo would love them.

Inuyasha nodded. “Great. Kagome will be here in about thirty minutes, so I think we’re right on schedule. Is Sango coming?”

Miroku shook his head. “No, she wanted to but the hospital called last minute and said they needed her.”

“That’s a bummer,” Inuyasha said. Miroku shrugged.

“It’s part of dating a nurse,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I admire her for it.”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha agreed. “That’s pretty great of her. Let’s get wrapping now.”

A few minutes after they’d finished wrapping the present, Inuyasha’s phone pinged with a message from Kagome.

**I’m here :)**

“Kagome’s here,” Inuyasha said as he stood up from the couch. “I’ll be right back.”

Inuyasha couldn’t keep the smile off his face when he found Kagome standing outside the bakery with a little gift bag in her hand. She waved at him as he walked to the door and unlocked it.

He wasted no time in pulling her into an embrace once he’d opened the door and let her in.

“Hi,” she said as she hugged him tightly.

“Hey,” he replied. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Of course,” she chirped. “I wouldn’t miss it.” Inuyasha gave her a final squeeze before letting go of her to take her hand.

“The lasagna will be done soon,” Inuyasha explained as they walked to the kitchen. “Once it’s finished, I’ll bring it upstairs. The cake is already up there.”

Kagome nodded excitedly. “Great!”

o.O.o

Shippo’s mother dropped him off right at noon, so they’d completed all of their preparations before he’d knocked on the door.

Inuyasha was waiting in the kitchen to let him in, so he went to the front door to let Shippo in.

“Happy birthday, Shippo,” Inuyasha greeted. Shippo gasped.

“I smell lasagna!” he exclaimed.

Inuyasha chuckled. “You already knew I was going to make lasagna. It’s upstairs with your cake, so I hope you’re hungry.”

Shippo nodded excitedly and followed Inuyasha upstairs.

The kitsune breathed another gasp when he saw Kagome.

“Kagome!” he shrieked as he jumped into her arms. Kagome laughed and hugged him tightly.

“Happy birthday, Shippo,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind that I crashed your party.”

Shippo shook his head. “You made it better!” They all laughed at his excitement.

Inuyasha smiled as he watched Shippo eagerly tell Kagome about what he’d done on his birthday before he hopped out of her arms and back onto the ground.

“Thanks, guys!” he said. “I’m really happy.”

“Of course, Shippo,” Miroku replied. “We couldn’t just do nothing for our best employee’s birthday.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes but couldn’t help his chuckle.

Inuyasha got the lasagna out shortly after and served it to everyone. Shippo went on about how delicious it was as they sat at the kitchen table and ate.

“So, Shippo,” Kagome began, “how old are you now?”

“I’m nine!” Shippo explained. “How old are you?”

“Shippo,” Miroku scolded lightly. “You can’t just ask people how old they are.” Kagome smiled.

“Oh, it’s okay,” she replied. “I turned twenty last summer.”

“Wow!” Shippo said. “You’re younger than Inuyasha and Miroku. They’re twenty-three, but you’re still way more mature than they are.”

Kagome tried to stifle her laugh, while Inuyasha growled.

“Eat your food,” he ordered. The hanyo caught Kagome’s eye and saw an amused expression on her face.

 _With her smiling at me like that,_ he mused, _I can’t really stay irritated._

After they’d finished eating the lasagna, Inuyasha cleared their plates and grabbed the cake.

Shippo gasped when he saw it.

Kagome and Inuyasha had molded some fondant into big flames that jutted out of the cake in true fox fire fashion. They’d also painted on some other little flames, so the whole thing looked like a big shot of Shippo’s power.

“It looks like my fox fire!” he said excitedly.

“That’s what we were going for,” Inuyasha replied. “Kagome helped decorate it.”

Shippo beamed at Kagome as Inuyasha put nine candles on the cake.

After they’d sang “Happy Birthday” and Shippo had blown out the candles, Inuyasha cut up the cake and passed out the slices.

The cake was perfect, just as he’d known it would be. The recipe was the same as what his mother had always made for birthdays, so Inuyasha had never seen a year in which he didn’t eat the cake at least two or three times.

Shippo loved his gifts, and he immediately began practicing with the new toys before using the pouch from Kagome to store them.

“Thanks, you guys!” Shippo said when his mother arrived to pick him up. “This was the best birthday ever.”

He hugged Kagome, then Miroku, and Inuyasha figured he’d let the kit hug him.

 _Just because of his birthday,_ he resolved. _Definitely not because I’m going soft._

Once Shippo was gone, Miroku went to head back up to the apartment.

“Well, I’m off to get ready to go see my lady,” he said. “She gets off work soon so I’m going to meet her there.” He smiled at Kagome. “I’m really glad you could come today. I know it meant a lot to Shippo.”

“I was happy to come,” she replied warmly. “He’s a great kid.”

Inuyasha caught Miroku’s eye before the latter went upstairs; his best friend gave him a little eyebrow wiggle, knowing very well that Kagome and Inuyasha would be alone once he’d left.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as Miroku went upstairs to get his jacket and keys.

“So,” Inuyasha said when Miroku was gone. “Do you want me to teach you how to make anpan? In the conventional oven this time.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. “Yes!”

o.O.o

They spent the rest of the day in the kitchen, talking and laughing and making several batches of anpan. Inuyasha wanted to make enough for them to eat as a snack as well as to send home with Kagome.

They baked long into the evening, and by the time they’d finished the last batch and cleaned up, Kagome reluctantly announced she needed to leave.

“I’m working an early shift tomorrow,” she explained. “So I should probably head out.”

Inuyasha nodded and took off his apron before bagging up the rest of the anpan for Kagome to take home. “That’s alright. I’ll grab our stuff and then we can go.”

He quickly went upstairs to retrieve their coats and his keys before rejoining her downstairs.

“Ready?” he asked. Kagome nodded and took his hand before they departed from the bakery.

When they reached Kagome’s apartment, Inuyasha hugged her at the door as usual.

He noticed that her bedroom door was open, and he once again saw the thin blanket on her bed.

He remembered seeing it the night before, and he felt his stomach drop at the thought of her laying in bed at night with only that small blanket and her tiny heater to keep warm.

On his way home, he got an idea.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome smiled as she got ready for bed.

When she first moved to town, she never expected her life would change so drastically or that the changes would be so good.

She loved getting to celebrate with them today, especially for Shippo. He’d taken a soft spot in her heart, and she loved getting to be involved with his birthday.

It had just been a great day overall.

Kagome snuggled into her coat, which had taken small hints of Inuyasha’s scent from how much time she’d been spending with him and how often he took her into his arms.

Her stomach flipped every time she thought of him, and she was glad they’d been able to have a re-do of their anpan date.

Kagome sighed happily as she drifted off to sleep.

_I hope it will stay this way…_

To be continued…


	13. The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY.  
> We can FINALLY get to the real fluff.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 13: The Night**

The next day before he knew Kagome would be leaving for work, Inuyasha sent a text to her.

**Hey, what time do you get off work today?**

A moment later, she responded.

**I'm only working one shift so I’ll be home around four.**

Inuyasha smiled.

**Can I come by a little while after the bakery closes?**

**Of course :)**

Inuyasha quickly typed back his response.

**Thanks, see you tonight.**

The day couldn’t go by fast enough.

o.O.o

A moment after Inuyasha knocked on Kagome’s door, she answered it and smiled when she saw the dog-eared man.

“Surprise,” Inuyasha said sheepishly as he held up the poorly-wrapped gift. Kagome looked pleasantly surprised as she took in the sight before her.

“Wow!” Kagome exclaimed as she opened the door the rest of the way. “Come in.” Inuyasha walked in and set the gift down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Do you want anything?” she asked. “I can put on some tea.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“Come sit down, Kagome,” he requested. Kagome shyly followed him over and sat down on the loveseat. Inuyasha sat down next to her and motioned to the gift.

“I remember seeing that you didn’t have one of these,” Inuyasha began to explain, “so…I got you one.” Kagome looked intrigued.

“Thank you,” she said as she pulled the gift onto her lap. Nerves filled Inuyasha as Kagome began to unwrap the gift.

 _I bet she’s gonna think it’s stupid,_ he mentally chided himself. _I should’ve just gotten her something else._

A small gasp from Kagome broke him from his mental scolding.

“Oh, Inuyasha,” she murmured as she held up the gift. “You have to stop getting me such kind gifts.”

It was a large, thick blanket to go over the thin, single blanket she had on her bed. Inuyasha had done his best to find a color that matched her sheet, and he hoped that it would look alright. The temperature had continued to drop as the days of winter went by, and he hated the thought of her being cold at night even with her little heater.

Inuyasha saw tears in Kagome’s eyes as she took the blanket out of the plastic cover and ran her hand over the thick fabric. When she looked up to meet his gaze, she broke out into a watery smile.

“Thank you, Inuyasha,” she said as she wrapped it around herself. “This is…you are…thank you. It’s so soft.” Inuyasha smiled.

“You like it?” he asked. Kagome nodded eagerly.

A sneaky look came onto her face. “You know,” she began, “I’ll share if you want.” Inuyasha was confused, but before he could inquire, Kagome all but tackled him onto the couch.

They dissolved into laughter as she pulled the blanket over them.

They grew serious once their circumstances were realized.

Kagome’s hands were settled on his chest as she hovered over him, the blanket falling a bit down her back as she looked down at him, allowing the light from the setting sun coming through the window to illuminate her.

Inuyasha felt his eyes widen a bit as he looked up at her with her black locks falling over her shoulders and grazing his chest as she leaned over him.

The hanyo reached up to run his hands over her arms.

“Kagome…”

She smiled at him. “Inuyasha, can I kiss you?”

Inuyasha couldn’t speak.

So he moved.

He carefully pulled her face down to him, softly touching his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

They pulled away a moment later, but that wasn’t enough for Inuyasha.

He wrapped his arms all the way around her, gently pulling her completely down on top of him as he kissed her a bit more firmly. Kagome reciprocated immediately, her lips parting against his until they were soon locked in the single greatest kiss Inuyasha had ever experienced in his life.

She tasted like anpan and warmth, if that were even a real flavor, and it only made Inuyasha tilt his head to kiss her deeper.

For a few moments, they were a tangle of limbs and lips and a warm blanket.

When Kagome finally pulled back, she wrapped her arms around Inuyasha and laid her head on his chest, the blanket still wrapped around the two of them.

“Thank you,” she murmured into his shirt.

o.O.o

“Inuyasha?”

The quiet murmuring from the woman still wrapped in his arms woke Inuyasha from his drowsy sleep.

He opened his eyes to see Kagome looking up at him from where she was still curled up against his chest.

He hadn’t even realized they fell asleep.

“Yeah?” he replied, eyes closing again.

Kagome reached up and touched the top of his head. “Um,” she began, “where are your ears?” Inuyasha’s eyes opened at that, and sure enough, he could feel the absence of his yokai strength.

_Crap, I didn’t mean to stay this long._

He’d somehow managed to dodge Kagome seeing his human night since they met, but he’d gotten careless that month.

“It’s the night of the new moon,” he explained as he sat up. “Once a month on this night, I become human. It’s a hanyo thing. I don’t ever sleep, though...” Kagome peered at him.

She reached out and touched his long now-black hair. Her fingers moved to one of his human ears and gently tugged on the earlobe. A caress of her hand against his told him that she saw the human fingernails.

But her gaze was most serious when she looked into his eyes.

“Your eyes…” she began, apparently unable to finish. Inuyasha blinked self-consciously.

“They change to brown,” he said, stating the obvious. Kagome reached up and touched his cheek.

 _Does she like me better as a human now that she’s seen me as one?_ he wondered silently. _Will she even want to be with me as I normally am after seeing me like this?_

Kagome smiled. “I miss the gold,” she admitted. “And your ears.” Once again, the woman in front of him had shocked Inuyasha to the core.

_She actually likes something obviously youkai about me?_

Kagome’s fingers once again trailed down his hair. “You’re handsome as a human,” she said. “But you’re breathtaking as a hanyo.” Inuyasha’s cheeks went up into flames.

_Breathtaking?_

Kagome pulled her hand away. “Sorry,” she said quickly, as if realizing she had just spoken. “I know that probably sounded really weird…I mean, who uses the word ‘breathtaking’ anymore? That was stupid of me...”

A deep kiss from Inuyasha silenced her.

Kagome was quick to follow suit as she lifted her hands to gently cup his cheeks. Inuyasha’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, closer, closer.

_Breathtaking._

Kagome pulled away with a ragged breath before dropping her mouth down to Inuyasha’s neck. Inuyasha’s eyes drifted closed as he relished in the sensation of her lips on his skin.

A flame ignited in him like nothing he’d ever felt before as Kagome’s gentle kisses along his neck became longer and lingering, and Inuyasha felt like he might die if she stopped.

He breathed a pleasured sigh as she trailed her way back up his neck and his jaw before moving toward the edge of his face.

When her lips touched his human earlobe, Inuyasha had to stifle a rather embarrassing sound he was coming very close to making.

He sucked in a breath as Kagome closed her lips on the tender skin for a moment before she spoke.

“I want to kiss your hanyo ears, too,” she murmured. “When they’re back...if that’s okay.”

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome kissed his earlobe a final time before moving her kisses back across his face.

The hanyo wasted no time in kissing her back when she reached his mouth.

Inuyasha allowed himself to get lost in the passion they were quickly creating. Kagome’s taste was heavy and sweet and pleasant on his tongue as he kissed her, gently angling her head to get a little deeper.

He could feel that she was just as eager for him as he was for her as she echoed every movement and breathed little sighs into their kisses.

Inuyasha tightened his arms around her, wishing they could freeze this moment and stay in it until their touches became too much to bear, if that were even possible.

Their kisses finally began to slow as reckless abandon made way for soft and simple brushes of lips.

When they finally pulled away, Kagome buried her face in his neck and held him tightly.

This.

This was what he’d always wanted.

o.O.o

Kagome insisted on staying up with him until the morning sun began to rise, so they’d stayed on the couch most of the time. Kagome didn’t have a TV, so Inuyasha had pulled up some movies on his phone for them to watch.

Feeling her laugh at the comedic movies as they lay curled up together on her loveseat had him actually dreading the moment he would regain his youkai powers.

But then again...she’d asked to kiss his hanyo ears…

And that was enough to have him ready for the night to be over.

Inuyasha took a deep breath when his powers returned. Kagome watched as his hair went back to silver and his brown eyes changed into his usual golden.

His claws grew, and he was mindful to keep them from nicking Kagome’s skin from where his hands still rested on her.

His ears were the last thing to return, and he saw Kagome’s gaze drift up to them before moving back to look into his eyes.

“You’re back,” she said. “There you go, taking my breath away again.”

Inuyasha laughed and hugged her close. “Back to youkai.” He nuzzled her hair with his nose.

“You know...if you still wanted to...check out my ears…” He trailed off, feeling a bit embarrassed at his thinly-veiled request.

Kagome smiled and rolled onto her side to face him. “Well, come here then.”

He felt Kagome’s lips press against his cheek first before kissing slowly up his face. The last place she kissed was the spot between his ears.  
When her mouth reached the top of one of his ears, Inuyasha’s eyes drifted closed.

She kissed it so adoringly, so lovingly, that it filled Inuyasha with a sweetness he’d never known.

She moved to the other ear, placing light kisses on it.

“So soft,” she murmured as she pulled back to reach up her hands to gently stroke them.

“No one’s ever touched them before,” Inuyasha said, his voice barely coming out as she continued to touch him. “A lot of people don’t really like them...too ‘youkai’ for them. I’m surprised you’re okay with dating someone with so many youkai traits.” It was a ridiculous moment to think of Kikyo, but her obvious distaste for his youkai traits when they were dating came to mind.

Kagome paused her rubbing of his ears, a frown coming to her face. “Why would you think that?” The tone in her voice wasn’t accusing; it was full of genuine concern and maybe even a little hurt.

Inuyasha opened his eyes to see that the look on her face mirrored the hurt in her voice. “I just...I’ve never dated a woman that was okay with it, so...I’m surprised. I guess I shouldn’t be, though, since it’s you.”

Kagome resumed her slow massage on his ears before kissing each one a final time.

She slid her hands down to cup his cheeks, searching his eyes.

Kagome smiled at him. “I like you just the way you are. Ears and all, youkai and all. Everything. You’re so beautiful, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened, and suddenly it felt like “Ukiyo” wasn’t just a way to describe what the bakery was to him.

It also described what Kagome was to him.

_Home._

Inuyasha kissed her, keeping it soft and light and as sweet as she was.

Kagome wasted no time in reciprocating the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When Inuyasha broke the kiss, he pulled Kagome into a simple hug and marveled at how perfectly she fit against him.

And Inuyasha knew he was in love.

o.O.o

He had to leave shortly after to get to the bakery, and leaving Kagome proved to be much more difficult than he’d anticipated, especially after the night they’d had.

She’d kissed him a final time before he left with the promise of seeing him that night, and then Inuyasha reluctantly left.

He made it back home before Miroku had woken up, so he decided to take a quick shower and start the day in the bakery.

Kagome was on his mind the whole time.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome hummed a little tune as she took a shower and got ready for her day.

Her night with Inuyasha was one she knew she’d cherish for the rest of her life, and she swore she could still feel the softness of his little dog ears on her fingertips, on her lips.

 _I think I’m in love,_ she mused as she went about getting ready. _There’s no other way to describe how I feel about him…_

Kagome smiled to herself.

What an amazing feeling.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha’s first human night with Kagome as well as the blanket gift were some of the first scenes I wrote for this story, so I’m ecstatic to finally have them out for you guys to read. Woot!  
> This story has changed so much since I first started writing it. About 75% of what you all have read so far was not part of the original story; that’s how much it’s grown!


	14. The Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 14: The Power**

A few days later, Inuyasha was cleaning up the kitchen about ten minutes after the bakery closed.

As he washed up the last few dishes and wiped down the counters, his mind was a bit preoccupied with a certain woman…

Inuyasha was thinking about the newfound closeness he felt with her after the night he’d spent with her after Shippo’s birthday celebration.

He loved holding her, feeling her against his body, kissing all the skin he could reach.

But there was something missing.

Her scent. Her aura.

Inuyasha was dying to know the secret behind her omission, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

“Hey,” Miroku greeted as he walked into the kitchen. “Need any help?” Inuyasha shook his head.

“I’m good,” he replied. “Thanks, though.”

Miroku hummed. “Everything alright?” Inuyasha paused.

_If I can’t ask my best friend for advice, who else can I ask?_

“Well…” Inuyasha began slowly, “everything is fine, but…”

“There’s something that isn’t completely ‘fine?’” Miroku supplied gently.

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah...with Kagome. I mean, she’s great, of course, but...how do you ask someone about something you’re dying to know without...pushing them away?”

Miroku was quiet for a moment.

“Inuyasha,” Miroku replied. “I don’t say it often, but you’re a kind person. You’re kind to the customers, mostly, you’re kind to me and Shippo when we need it, and you’re kind to Kagome. There’s a certain vulnerability that comes with falling in love. I’ve seen it in you since Kagome came into our lives. I think that your kindness and that vulnerability can’t possibly push her away. If there’s something you want to ask Kagome, just ask her. I don’t think you can go wrong with that.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened a bit at Miroku’s answer.

“I...okay. Thanks, Miroku.”

Miroku smiled. “Anytime, my friend. The store area is closed so I’m heading upstairs. Tell Kagome I said hello.”

When Inuyasha was alone, he took a deep breath.

_Kagome and I have gotten so much closer since then...and if Miroku is right, maybe it would be okay to ask._

Inuyasha smiled. _Miroku’s got me going soft, too. The whole lot of them._

o.O.o

Later that night, Inuyasha and Kagome were laying together on her loveseat in her apartment, talking about their days and giving each other gentle touches as they spoke.

Eventually, Inuyasha worked up the nerve to ask.

“So...” he began.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“I was thinking about something today,” he said. “And I know I asked you a while ago, but...why don’t you have an aura? I can tell it’s something you’re doing on purpose...I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, but why are you suppressing it?”

Kagome froze against him.

“Um…well,” she stuttered. “I didn’t want to tell you for...several reasons, but the biggest one is because I didn’t want you to know about a certain power I have.”  
Inuyasha frowned.

“I can tell you have some sort of power,” he replied. “There have been a couple times I’ve felt your aura, and it’s really strong. Plus, you said you could sense Miroku and Shippo in the bakery one time. That’s not a normal thing humans can do.”

Kagome sighed and sat up. Inuyasha sat up, too, unsettled by the drop in her mood.

“I’ll tell you,” she finally said, not meeting his gaze. “But...it’s not something I practice or believe in anymore aside from I use it to suppress my aura, so...just keep that in mind.”

Inuyasha nodded, wondering what could possibly be bothering her so much about the whole thing.

“I have miko powers,” she admitted shamefully.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened.

_She’s a miko? That doesn’t make any sense…_

Miko were rare during such a peaceful time between humans and youkai. Humans and youkai still didn’t tend to date or marry each other, which is why Inuyasha’s parents had been shunned by their families.

But to know that Kagome, who was dating him even though she was a human, was also a miko of all things was a shock to him.

Miko still held the old-time belief that youkai were evil and should be destroyed. There were very, very few miko left, and they never interacted with youkai unless

it was to kill them.

They tended to live in small, hidden communities, isolated from most people outside of their beliefs.

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, uncertain of how to respond.

“Inuyasha, say something,” Kagome prompted. “You’re driving me crazy.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I’m just...processing. You’re really a miko?”

Kagome frowned and finally met his gaze. “No, not anymore. I know that it’s wrong and hateful now.” She breathed a heavy sigh. “I’m so sorry. I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore.” Inuyasha took her hand.

“Don’t be stupid,” he chided lightly. “Nothing could ever make me not want to see you. Can I feel it, though? Your aura...can I feel it now?”

Kagome nodded and kept her eyes on him as she revealed her aura.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened again as her power hit him head-on.

It was like nothing he’d ever felt before.

It was strong and swirling with power, but that’s not what stuck out the most to Inuyasha.

It was the wholly unbridled experience of having her scent right there.

He could smell her scent throughout her apartment, but that was nothing compared to how it felt to actually smell her.

“Wow,” he breathed. Kagome suppressed it again, and Inuyasha felt a sudden loss.

“Wait,” he said. “Don’t hide it, please?”

Kagome frowned. “But...doesn’t my power bother you?” Inuyasha shook his head.

“I can actually smell your scent on you,” he replied, somewhat embarrassed. “It’s a really nice scent.”

Kagome finally smiled and revealed her aura again.

Inuyasha wasted no time in pulling her against him and laying back down on the loveseat.

He pressed his face against her neck, placing soft kisses on her skin as he inhaled her scent. Kagome breathed a sigh and moved her hands to his hair, gently running her fingers through the silver locks.

“I know you would never hurt me,” Inuyasha murmured as he brushed his lips against her neck over and over. “I trust that. You don’t have to worry about scaring me off, Kagome. That’s not gonna happen.”

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I hid it from you.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I understand why you did. It’s okay.”

He held her closer, reveling in her scent and the warmth of her body against his.

“I have to keep my aura hidden everywhere else, though,” she said. “I don't want to be found because of it.”

Inuyasha frowned and paused his movements on her neck. “What do you mean? Is someone looking for you?”

Kagome was quiet for a moment. “I...um, no, but miko are rare...people don’t like them, so…”

Inuyasha nodded. “Okay, I understand.”

The hanyo placed a final kiss on her neck before moving up to look into her eyes.

“You can tell me anything,” Inuyasha said seriously. “I feel bad you felt like you had to hide that from me.”

Kagome sighed. “It’s just a lot to take in, and I know that. I’m just glad it’s not going to drive you away.”

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head. “Nothing could do that, woman. I’m in this a little too deep for that.” Kagome laughed.

“Yeah, me, too.”

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome was curled up in the nest she’d made in her bed.

She had her thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders, as well as the large blanket Inuyasha had tucked all around her.

But the man holding her close was what really kept her warm.

Earlier, they’d fallen asleep together on the loveseat, which had been comfortable but cramped, so Kagome had asked him to stay with her the rest of the night since it had gotten so late.

Now, in her bed which was still rather small but bigger than the couch, she could lean back and admire Inuyasha’s peaceful expression.

When he was awake, there was almost always some lingering hint of tension. It was in the way his brows knit together, how it always took him a few minutes to really relax when they were laying together. Kagome knew it wasn’t because of her; it just seemed like that was how Inuyasha held himself.

But then there was the absolute unabashed way he would look at her.

He always looked at her like she was so much more than what she felt. His golden eyes always raked over her, piercing her every time their gazes locked, even after she’d told him about her secret power.

He always touched her like he could never get enough of her, his claws always glided over her skin, her hair, her neck, anywhere.

He always breathed a small sigh before he kissed her, as if as a verbal cue that he was letting his guard down and allowing himself to feel.

But there was still always some lingering tension under the surface.

She remembered there used to be more tension, a constant tension, when they first met, and she dared to allow herself to believe that she might have helped ease that tension throughout the time they’d spent together, throughout the time she’d spent falling in love with him.

Kagome wanted to smooth the remaining worry lines from his forehead, kiss the only occasional frown off his face until all he could do was either kiss her back or smile.

Looking at him now, with his eyes closed and face smooth, he looked boyish; there was no tension and no uncertainty.

She gently brushed a stray lock of silver hair away from his face and caught a whiff of his scent.

Kagome leaned in closer, basking in the scent she’d grown to love so much.

Inuyasha smelled like the bakery, but like the bakery at its core.

He smelled like unbaked dough as well as freshly-baked buns, with a sweetness and richness that Kagome had never experienced before.

She loved him. She knew she did.

Despite the urge to just stay with him, Kagome needed to use the restroom. She’d forgotten to wash the make-up off her face several times before bed in the past and had suffered from a very stained pillowcase and a few emerging pimples the next morning.

Gently disentangling herself from Inuyasha, she slid out of the bed and went to the bathroom.

When she’d silently closed the door behind her, Kagome avoided looking in the mirror as usual.

She had to look at her reflection every morning to put the make-up on, but at night when she washed it off, she never looked.

She couldn’t.

The scars didn’t hurt anymore, but the memories did.

As Kagome grabbed her face cleanser and began washing off the make-up, she once again felt a wave of gratitude come over her.  
Inuyasha could see the scars, no doubt. With his hanyo eyesight, she was pretty sure he’d seen them the moment she’d first taken her sunglasses off in front of him.

He’d even seen her without the make-up when he came to check on her after their failed date in the bakery, and he still hadn’t pressed her for answers.

As she finished washing it off, Kagome dared to look up in the mirror.

She saw herself, Kagome.

Kagome, with the scars.

Kagome, with so much emotional baggage.

She looked away and quickly dried her face off on a towel.

When she went back to her bedroom and saw the sleeping man that was waiting for her, Kagome’s heart softened.

Kagome, the woman who loved Inuyasha.

She smiled.

_I like the sound of that._

To be continued…


	15. The Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my most favorite chapter in this story. I worked so hard on it, and I hope you all love it as much as I do.  
> The art included in this chapter was done by Shnuggletea! Check her out on Patreon and tumblr!  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 15: The Morning**

Inuyasha woke up to a powerful scent filling his senses.

Upon opening his eyes, he found himself wrapped around Kagome, completely entangled with her as his face rested against her hair.

Inuyasha winced as he shifted a bit. He’d fallen asleep in his jeans, and the thick denim was starting to cut into his waist rather uncomfortably.

But the woman in his arms did well to distract him from that.

Inuyasha nestled his nose in her hair and, for one of the very few times in his life, was grateful that he was a hanyo, if only for the sake of being able to so strongly pick up Kagome’s scent.

The morning sun was starting to shine through the window, its rays slowly beginning to lighten the bedroom. He would need to get up soon to go to the bakery, but he really hated to have to wake Kagome up and leave the warmth and comfort of her bed…

Kagome’s phone alarm started to go off, loud and chiming as if its only goal were to make Inuyasha’s ears bleed.

Kagome stirred and reached around for the phone only to pause when her hand landed on Inuyasha’s face.

She opened her eyes and seemed confused for a moment before she smiled.

“I thought I was dreaming,” she said sleepily. “I’m glad I wasn’t.”

Inuyasha chuckled and grabbed her phone for her. “Good morning.”

Kagome took the phone and silenced the alarm before curling back up against Inuyasha.

“It _is_ a good morning.”

Inuyasha ran his claws through her hair as she settled back against him, but he could tell she hadn’t gone back to sleep.

“I need to get up,” she murmured. “I have to work.”

“I have to get back to the bakery,” Inuyasha admitted. Kagome sighed and rolled onto her back, allowing the early sunshine to illuminate her face.

Inuyasha took in the sight of the scars on her face and wondered if she was aware he could see them so clearly. She must have taken the make-up off at some point, most likely after he’d fallen asleep.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha began softly as he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. “What happened?”

Kagome looked away from him when his thumb gently grazed one of her scars.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he soothed. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

Kagome sighed and shifted her gaze back up to him.

“They’re scars,” she explained quietly. “From a fire. There are more scars on my arms from...other fire incidents, too.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. 'It’s winter so I’ve only seen her wear long sleeves...I had no idea she had more scars.'

“A fire?” he repeated. “So that day in the bakery when you left…”

Kagome grimaced. “It’s hard to talk about, which is why I said I left because it gave me a migraine. I still get...flashbacks sometimes.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I never should have--”

Kagome silenced him with a firm look. “Don’t apologize. You were trying to do something kind for me. There’s no way you could’ve known.”

Inuyasha stroked the scar on her cheekbone as she looked up at him, worry evident in her eyes.

 _What is she worried about?_ he wondered. _Does she think I’m grossed out? That I won’t want her now that I’ve seen her this close without the make-up hiding the scars?_

“Hey,” he murmured as he moved his hand down to cup the side of her neck.

Kagome bit her lip, obviously self-conscious of his perusal of her marred skin.

Once he had her attention, Inuyasha leaned down and placed a light kiss on one of the scars. Kagome gasped softly, so he did it again, and again, before moving to the other side of her face to pay the same attention to the other one.

He pulled away to look into her eyes; he could see tears start to form as he gently reached for one of her arms, using his hand to pull her sleeve up, watching her face for any indication that he should stop.

Inuyasha wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see, but he found that her inner arm was covered with round scars. Some were small, some were big. It looked like someone had held a flame directly against her skin for a long period of time, over and over, again and again.

Inuyasha nearly growled.

They weren’t self-inflicted. He could tell someone had done it to her on purpose.

“The ones on my arms are from my old sensei,” Kagome whispered. “When I would mess up in my miko training, he would take matches and…press them against my skin. The miko clothing had long sleeves so I could hide it. I didn’t tell anyone because...I just...I don’t know.”

Inuyasha tried to hide the horror he felt at her admission. “Oh, Kagome,” he murmured.

He turned his focus back to her bare arm and began pressing kisses to each scar. He did it slowly, as lovingly and tenderly as possible.

After a few moments, he gently moved to her other arm, rolling up her sleeve and kissing all the marred skin he saw.

When he’d adorned her arms with an abundance of kisses, he looked back into her eyes as he brought a hand up to cup her cheek.

“Kagome, I promise, I swear to you, that I will never let anything like this ever happen to you again. I will always protect you.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide as a few tears escaped. Inuyasha wiped them away and pulled her against him.

“I love you, Kagome,” he murmured.

Kagome closed her eyes and tilted her face to press her lips to his neck.

“My sweetest man,” she murmured back. “I love you, too."

She was silent for a moment before she spoke again.

“Inuyasha, I--”

The chime of Inuyasha’s phone cut her off.

Reluctantly, Inuyasha placed a kiss on her cheek before grabbing his phone out of his pocket.

It was just after six-thirty in the morning, so Inuyasha figured it was Miroku wondering why the hanyo wasn’t preparing the kitchen for the day. The bakery didn't open until nine, but Inuyasha tended to start the day rather early.

Flashing Kagome an apologetic look, Inuyasha answered the call.

“What?”

Miroku chuckled on the other end. “Good morning to you, too. I’m guessing you probably slept pretty well, huh?”

“What do you--shut up. I’ll be there soon.”

“Tell Kagome I said hi!”

Inuyasha growled and ended the call before sliding the phone back into his pocket.

Kagome wiped the rest of her tears away and laughed lightly. “Miroku’s teasing starts early, huh?”

Inuyasha couldn’t hide his amused grin. “Every day.”

Kagome laughed again and kissed him quickly before sitting up.

Unable to resist, Inuyasha took her hand to stop her.

“I could wait for you to get ready,” he offered. “Then we can walk together. The bakery is on the way to the store anyway, so…”

Kagome smiled brightly. “I would love that. I'll try to be quick.”

Inuyasha watched her as she got up from the bed and grabbed some clothes from her closet. He waited until she’d left the room and started the shower before Inuyasha pulled out his phone again.

Dialing Miroku, Inuyasha waited for him to answer.

“Well, hello again,” Miroku greeted. “Can I expect you back soon?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I'll be there in a little while. I'm just waiting for Kagome to get ready.” He paused. “I’m sorry I’m not there. I wasn't expecting to stay here the whole night, but…”

Inuyasha could practically see Miroku’s smirk. “It's alright, my friend. Do you have anything you need me to do before you get back?”

“I've got some dough proofing,” Inuyasha explained. “Can you take it out and give it a good knead? I'll be home before we open, so I can take over from there.”

“I got you covered,” Miroku replied. “Take your time with whatever you guys are doing.”

Inuyasha blushed. “We’re not--we didn't--ugh, just take the dough out.”

Miroku laughed. “I'll see you when you get home.”

“Okay,” Inuyasha said. “Thank you...I appreciate it.”

The annoying blush was still on his face when Inuyasha ended the call, so he tried to school his expression to avoid any further embarrassment.

When Kagome came back to her room, she was dressed in clean clothes and her hair was still a bit damp from her shower.

The scars on her face were covered by her usual make-up, and Inuyasha wondered if she ever got tired of having to do that.

“Do you want something to eat?” she asked as she put on her shoes. “I can whip something up real quick.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “No, it's alright. We can grab something from the bakery if you want.”

Kagome smiled. “That sounds great. It's only a little after seven now and my shift starts at eight, so we’ll have time.”

Once her shoes were on and she'd grabbed her coat and bag, Inuyasha got up and followed her out the door.

Kagome took his hand as soon as they were outside before assuming her usual position with her free hand wrapped around his arm.

Inuyasha laced his fingers with hers and held her hand tightly, savoring the feel of her palm against his.

She felt so perfect against him; he'd always noticed it, but sleeping with her wrapped up against his side the previous night had only increased his desire to never let her go.

When they reached the bakery, Inuyasha unlocked the door and led Kagome inside.

Miroku was in the kitchen, kneading the dough Inuyasha had asked him to prepare.

“Good morning, you two,” Miroku greeted.

“Good morning,” Kagome replied. Inuyasha just grunted a simple “hey.”

Inuyasha hadn’t made any anpan yet, so he grabbed a simple pastry for Kagome and hoped she would like it.

“Here you go,” Inuyasha said when he handed it to her. “It's cherry.”

Kagome's eyes lit up. “Yum. Thank you.”

“Well, Kagome,” Miroku began. “I think we should be thanking you. Inuyasha will no doubt start his good mood early since he's already seen you.” Kagome laughed while Inuyasha blushed and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, that's enough,” Inuyasha growled. Kagome munched on the pastry, the amused glint still twinkling in her eyes.

When she was finished, she bade Miroku goodbye and followed Inuyasha out of the kitchen and toward the front door.

“I _am_ starting the day off in a good mood,” he murmured as he pulled her close. “I'm glad we got to spend the morning together.”

Kagome smiled as she raised a hand to stroke his cheek. “Inuyasha...I don’t think I can ever describe how much you mean to me.”

He pulled her flush against him, trying to get his fill of her until he saw her again that night.

“I love you,” he murmured into her hair.

She squeezed him once more before she pulled away. “I love you, too. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye, Kagome.”

Inuyasha watched as she left before turning around and heading back to the kitchen.

He saw Miroku standing in the doorway with a knowing smile on his face.

“Man,” Miroku teased. “I thought Sango and I were bad, but we're nothing compared to what I just witnessed. You two are in looove. It looks like you’ve gone soft, my friend.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Alright, I get it.” He frowned. “You pervert. Were you watching us?”

Miroku held his hands up in mock defense. “I just saw the tail end of it. Honestly, Inuyasha, I think it’s great.”

Inuyasha finally smiled. “Yeah...I’ll make something special for breakfast, okay? Since you helped out with that dough.”

Miroku nodded. “Sure. It was no problem, though. So how did your night go?”

Inuyasha went to make a snide remark but caught himself before he could.

“It was nice.”

Miroku smiled. “That’s great. Let me know if you need anything else.”

When Miroku was gone, Inuyasha chuckled.

_Maybe I have gone soft._

O.o.O.o.O

As Kagome clocked in once she arrived at the store, her thoughts drifted back to the morning in her apartment.

When she was in the shower while Inuyasha waited for her, she’d cried. She’d cried harder than she’d cried in a long time.

The gentleness of Inuyasha was overwhelming. The way he’d kissed each and every scar with the utmost care...it simultaneously soothed and broke her heart.

So she’d cried.

She’d cried because she believed him.

She’d cried because there was still so much he didn’t know.

 _Will he even think I’m worth protecting?_ she wondered. _If he knew everything about me, would he still feel the same way?_

Kagome closed her eyes as she rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and finished up her shower.

When she returned to her bedroom to find Inuyasha waiting for her, she felt the sadness ebb away as it was taken over by a small, fanged smile and golden eyes.

A warm hand and body pressed against hers as they walked to the bakery.

A warm man hugged her goodbye.

A warm presence stayed with her even after she left.

And like the sun, she basked in that warmth.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure most of you that have read my other stories have noticed that I often write romance and some pretty heated make-out scenes, but I don’t ever write actual lemons/smut or sexual content. It’s just not really my style and I like to keep my stories at a T rating. That being said, I always try my absolute hardest to portray the intimacy that’s normally shown through the act of making love through other actions and words.  
> I really hope this chapter was able to do that.


	16. The Titles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 16: The Titles**

Inuyasha was humming along to a song playing from the alternative-rock radio station he had softly playing through a speaker in the kitchen.

He was minding his own business, putting a tray of buns in the oven, when he heard Miroku laughing behind him.

Inuyasha frowned and glanced at him before closing the oven door and setting the timer.

“What’s your problem?” he asked.

Miroku grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you hum along to a song. You’ve got it bad!”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

Miroku laughed again and Inuyasha wondered if he was actually younger than Shippo.

“I take it things went well with Kagome?” Miroku prodded. “You still haven’t told me anything.”

A memory from earlier that morning flashed through his mind of the way Kagome’s body felt against his, the sound of her sighs, the way her scars felt beneath his lips as he’d tried to shower her with all the affection and love and acceptance he could muster.

And like the lovesick idiot he was, Inuyasha blushed.

“Get out of my kitchen!” he shouted.

Once Miroku was gone, Inuyasha breathed a sigh and grabbed the list of orders he needed to get done that day. He frowned as he looked over the list.

“Hey, Miroku?” Inuyasha called as he walked out of the kitchen. Miroku was ringing up a customer, so Inuyasha leaned against the doorframe and waited.

When Miroku was finished, he turned his attention to the hanyo.

“What’s up?” he asked. Inuyasha walked over to hand him the list.

“What’s the deal with these orders?” he asked. “You have twenty pieces of ten types of bread. What’s that about?”

Miroku seemed confused. “It’s for the Shikon Festival. Do you not want to do it this year?” Inuyasha groaned.

“I forgot about the festival,” he muttered. “Stupid thing. I don’t know why we still do it.”

Miroku laughed. “Because of Toga and Izayoi, remember?” At the sound of his parents’ names, Inuyasha softened, but he was still annoyed about the festival.

Their city held a special festival every year around late-winter, and the date for that year was quickly approaching. He hated the festival. There was too much work to do, too many people, and the money they made from the sales were good, but it still never seemed to match the amount of effort it took to keep up with their booth.

But his parents had a booth at the festival every year since they’d opened the bakery, so it only felt natural for Inuyasha to continue it.

Even though he never had any fun.

 _I can’t believe I forgot,_ Inuyasha grumbled silently. _Normally I’m mad about it for a month beforehand, but I guess I’ve been a little...distracted._ Blue eyes lit up his mind for a second, so he tried to quickly grab ahold of his thoughts.

“It’s only Monday,” Miroku said. “The festival is Sunday, so the orders don’t need to be done until, well, whenever you want before then. I just wanted you to have a heads-up. I booked us a good booth this year. It should be great.”

Inuyasha sighed. “Alright. I can’t believe I forgot about it, though. At least I avoided extra time being annoyed. Now it’s just a week.” Miroku’s eyes lit up with his usual teasing.

“Oh, I can definitely believe it,” he taunted. “What with a certain woman…”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” He paused. “Um...do you think she’d want to come?”

Miroku smiled. “Of course, my friend. She seems just as smitten with you as you do with her, so I can’t imagine she would say no to spending more time with you, even if you tend to be in a bad mood for the festival.”

Inuyasha ignored his comment about his bad mood and focused on his encouragement.

“Thanks, Miroku,” Inuyasha said sincerely. “You’re alright...sometimes.”

Miroku laughed. “Wow, thanks for the compliment. It went straight to my heart.”

Inuyasha smirked. “Yeah, yeah,” he said as he headed back to the kitchen. “Your word-crap sometimes goes straight to my heart, too.”

He smiled as he left a still-laughing Miroku behind him.

o.O.o

Inuyasha wasn’t one to get sentimental or indulgent in his feelings, but when it came to Kagome, it was inevitable.

That night, they were lying curled up on Kagome’s loveseat with her blanket tucked around them.

Inuyasha would have been content to lie there with her for the rest of his life, with his hand running up and down her back and his claws occasionally combing through her hair.

Kagome sighed contentedly. “I like when you’re here.” Inuyasha placed a kiss on her head.

“Me, too,” he replied softly.

“How were things at the bakery today?” Kagome asked. “It was too windy to talk when we were walking.” She smiled up at him. “Thanks for warming me up, by the way.”

Inuyasha blushed and held her a little closer. “I’m your personal heater now? I guess that’s an upgrade from anpan pimp.”

Inuyasha didn’t think he’d ever heard someone _guffaw,_ but that was the only way to describe the snort of laughter Kagome emitted.

“My anpan pimp?” she repeated. “That’s quite the title.”

Inuyasha smiled at her amusement. “Yeah, maybe that’s not quite right.” He allowed himself to grow serious as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek.

“I have a different title in mind,” he said quietly. “But...if you don’t like it, then we can go back to anpan pimp.” Kagome laughed again, but seemed intrigued by his sudden serious demeanor.

“And what would that be?”

Inuyasha hesitated.

_Have I really gotten so lame that this is how I’m going to ask her this question?_

“Um...boyfriend…?”

Kagome was quiet for a moment as she let the word float in the air between them.

“Oh.”

Inuyasha froze. _What does that mean?_

“I mean, you can say no,” he tried to cover.

Kagome laughed. “Inuyasha, I’ll be honest...I kind of thought you already were my boyfriend. I didn’t think you would tell just any girl you love her.”

Inuyasha blushed. “Oh...yeah, I guess I’m a little late in asking.”

Kagome leaned up to brush her nose against his. “Better late than never.”

She sealed it with a kiss, letting her lips linger before they drifted to each of his cheeks a few times before she pulled back to lay against him again.

 _I love her kisses,_ he mused as he hugged her tightly. _It’s like there’s never an end to them._

“Okay...girlfriend,” Inuyasha said, testing the newness that apparently wasn’t so new to Kagome. “There’s a festival coming up in about a week. It’s called the Shikon Festival, and I think it would be really great if you came.”

“A festival sounds fun,” she said as she ran her hand over his chest in soft motions. “What do you do there?”

Inuyasha couldn’t help his inconvenienced sigh. “Well, I work. Miroku flirts with women the whole time. Well, he might not do that this year since he has an actual girlfriend, but I’m still stuck doing work.” He cringed, realizing that this was definitely not the way to try and sell the festival to her.

“Uh, but it’ll still be fun,” he added quickly. “There are lots of food vendors, games, all that.”

“That sounds nice,” Kagome replied. “I definitely want to come. I’ll make sure I’m off that day. Do you need help preparing anything?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Nah. I do all the baking the night before, so it’s always an all-nighter. Even when my parents were doing it, they would stay up all night baking. We have to use the stove in the oven in the bakery’s kitchen, the wood-burning oven, and the small oven Miroku and I have in our apartment. It’s a big job.”

Kagome yawned. “Well, I’m happy to help if you change your mind. It might be fun to bake all night. I’ve never done that before.” She laughed. “Actually, I’ve never really baked at all before except for when we made anpan.”

Inuyasha lightly ran his claws up and down her arm, noticing that she was starting to get a bit drowsy.

“Well, if you’re up to it,” he replied, his voice lowering in volume. “It might be fun.”

“Shikon Festival,” Kagome murmured. “Are there a lot of people that go?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s almost the whole city.”

Kagome went silent at that, and Inuyasha wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

He knew she hadn’t from the way her pulse had increased; he could practically feel her heart racing against his side.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Do you not like crowds?”

Kagome winced. “Uh, I’m just not used to them, I guess. You know, growing up in a small town and all. But it’ll be fine. I’m really excited about it.”

Inuyasha moved his claws up to comb through her hair, hoping the festival wouldn’t upset her like the flames in the oven had.

 _What causes all this trauma?_ he wondered. _All I want is to protect her…_

“You can tell me anything,” Inuyasha reminded kindly. “If you ever need to.”

Kagome yawned again and reached up to pat his cheek. “I know. Thank you.”

They went silent, just holding each other in a comfortable quiet as Kagome continued to drift to sleep.

Inuyasha gently roused her right before she could fully succumb to slumber, and as she walked him to the door, he could tell how tired she was.

 _She works so much,_ Inuyasha realized. _She’s probably also tired from concealing her aura. That takes a lot of power._

But Kagome most certainly woke up from the kiss she and Inuyasha shared before he left.

Kagome had opened the door for him to leave, but as soon as his lips touched hers for what he’d intended to be a small kiss good night, things grew heated, and he wound up kicking the door closed behind him before turning them around so he could gently move her against the door, allowing his body to press against hers.

He ran his hands up and down her sides as he molded himself to her, and she responded in kind by gliding her hands up his arms and around his neck to tangle in his hair.

Inuyasha felt so _alive_ when he kissed her.

Her taste was addictive, the softness of her lips was a comfort against his, and the way she would sigh her pleasure against his mouth had him nearly on his knees.

She somehow managed to pull him closer as their embrace calmed after a few moments. They drifted into slow, lingering kisses of languid tastes and gentle slides.

She tasted like he remembered from that morning before he’d left, like her natural sweetness and anpan and the tea she always made for them, and if Inuyasha could replay sensations in his head rather than just the moments they shared, he would never be able to focus properly on anything else.

When they finally pulled away, even Inuyasha was a little breathless from the sheer euphoria she always offered him.

He hugged her close, pulling her away from the door so he could wrap his arms all the way around her.

“That was quite a good night, boyfriend,” she teased softly, her words blurring into the skin on Inuyasha’s neck.

He smiled. “I try my best.” He couldn’t help it; he went in for a little more.

When Inuyasha finally managed to pry himself away from her quite a while later, his body remained on fire even as he walked back to the bakery in the sharp chill of mid-winter.

It was late enough that even Miroku was home and already asleep, so Inuyasha silently got ready for bed before sliding under his covers. He smiled as he slipped into slumber.

_Maybe the festival won’t be so bad this year._

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome lay in bed, her earlier bout of drowsiness completely gone as she mulled over what Inuyasha had mentioned about the festival.

He said there would be a lot of people...that could be dangerous.

Kagome rolled over and snuggled into the blanket Inuyasha had gotten her, trying to quell the panic she could feel rising at the thought.

 _I’m far enough away from home that it should be alright,_ she reasoned. _It’ll be fun, and besides, Inuyasha will be there. It’ll be fine._

That’s when her concern turned to affection.

 _Boyfriend,_ she mused. _I never expected to find something so wonderful here, especially after everything that’s happened._

Her phone pinged next to her, alerting her of a text from Inuyasha.

**Good night again. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.**

Kagome blushed.

**Good night. I can’t wait to see you either <3**

She took a deep breath, allowing herself to love the way her life was, hoping that the terrors of her past wouldn’t come back to haunt her.

Because if they did...well…

She really, really didn’t want to think about that.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The working title for this chapter was “Inuyasha’s an Idiot” but I changed it at the last minute.  
> I’m joking, of course, but he’s still a bit of an idiot sometimes.  
> So we’ve spent the last couple of chapters developing the InuKag relationship, which was my intention. That being said, the first part of our plot is now complete (they’re in love, yay), and starting with chapter 18, we will be moving into the second part. I know there are still many questions about just what Kagome is hiding about her past, and we’ll be moving into that more very soon.


	17. The All-Nighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much just our segue into the second part of the story, and when I say second part, I don’t necessarily mean the second half, just because I’m still not sure how long this story will wind up being. I’m just saying “part” because we’re flipping focuses.  
> So enjoy this fluffy chapter before things get crazy :)  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 17: The All-Nighter**

By the time the following Saturday rolled around, Inuyasha felt like he wouldn’t be able to complain even if he tried.

Miroku was constantly teasing him about his surprisingly good mood, which would normally tick Inuyasha off, but then Inuyasha’s mind would drift to what, or who, was causing his good mood.

Then being annoyed suddenly became very difficult.

Inuyasha and Kagome hadn’t really changed much about the time they spent together since making their relationship actually official; they still spent time at the bakery together, still walked to her apartment together, still spent nearly every evening curled up on her loveseat together.

Well, there was one change that had happened, and Kagome did it every single night.

Every time she did it, he all but melted in her arms.

“Alright, assume the position,” Kagome ordered as she sat against the armrest of her loveseat with a pillow on her lap.

Trying his best to not seem too eager, Inuyasha chuckled and lay down on the pillow.

She started her usual routine: her hands started by smoothing out the tangles in his hair before working their way to his ears.

She’d grown an affinity for rubbing them after she’d first touched them the morning after his human night, and Inuyasha had been more than a little surprised when she asked him to touch them again the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.

But it felt nice, so why not?

Inuyasha smiled as he thought about it while pulling out everything he would need to bake that night. Saturday night had approached quickly, and Kagome had insisted on coming over to help him bake for the festival the next day.

Inuyasha waited until around eight to start prepping everything, not wanting to start too soon so as to keep everything as fresh as possible for the next day.

Kagome arrived around eight-fifteen, and her excitement to help was enough for the both of them. She’d brought an overnight bag so she wouldn’t have to go home before the festival, so she set it on the table and looked around at the supplies Inuyasha laid out.

“There’s a lot to do,” Inuyasha warned her. “Like...I’m not joking. If you get tired, you can crash in my bed upstairs. No worries.”

Kagome smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “How am I supposed to enjoy my second baking experience with you if I’m not down here?” Inuyasha softened and hugged her close.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Inuyasha and Kagome jumped, slightly pulling away from each other.

Miroku was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a huge smirk on his face, having walked in on the moment between Inuyasha and Kagome.

Kagome laughed at the intrusion while Inuyasha just blushed.

“We’re about to start baking for the festival,” Kagome chirped.

Miroku feigned horror. “Good luck with that. I always offer to help him, but man, does he get annoyed. He all but shoves me out of the kitchen. The festival is arguably the grumpiest Inuyasha will be all year. Well, aside from when you were stealing anpan. That’s a close second.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I’m not that bad.” Kagome patted his chest good-naturedly before letting go of him.

“I think we’ll have fun,” she encouraged. Miroku smiled.

“Inuyasha has been in quite the good mood lately, so you might just be right.”

Cheeks aflame, Inuyasha turned around to wash his hands in the sink behind him...again.

_Anything to get out of this conversation..._

“Anyway,” Miroku continued. “I’m off to give my lady a foot rub after her extra shift, so I’ll see you guys later. Give me a call if you need anything.”

After Miroku left, Inuyasha rinsed the final bit of soap off his hands before drying them on a towel.

Kagome laughed quietly. “Do you really think he’s gonna give his girlfriend a foot rub?”

Inuyasha nodded seriously. “Yeah. Miroku’s not bad with the ladies, especially with his girlfriend, and she’s a nurse so I’m sure she doesn’t mind it.”

“Oh, she’s a nurse?” Kagome asked. “That’s great.” Inuyasha slipped on his apron as Kagome went to wash her hands.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha replied as he went to grab an extra apron for her. “I’ve only met her once, but she’s nice. She’s working tomorrow, though, so she won’t be at the festival.” He paused. “It might be kind of boring, honestly. We’re selling stuff at the booth, so we’ll be there most of the day.”

Kagome smiled. “Okay. I’ll have fun as long as I’m with you.”

Inuyasha gave her a quick kiss.

“Let’s get started then.”

o.O.o

They worked long into the night, but with Kagome’s help mixing and decorating, they got everything done in record time.

Miroku texted him around eleven to let him know he would be staying with Sango the rest of the night, so Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t have to worry about making too much noise.

Kagome had turned on the radio shortly after she arrived, and Inuyasha admired the way she hummed along to the songs she liked or made a face at a song she didn’t like.

Kagome caught him watching her after he’d set the timer on the oven.

“Are you enjoying the show?” she teased. Inuyasha smiled.

“Just a little,” he replied.

Kagome smiled slyly before coming over to take his hands in hers.

“Dance with me?” she requested as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Inuyasha nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and gently setting his forehead against hers.

The song wasn’t a slow one, but they treated it as such, swaying slowly as the music invaded the silence between them.

When the song ended, they stopped swaying but stayed in each other’s arms.

“Can I tell you something?” Kagome asked. Inuyasha pulled her a little closer.

“Of course,” he replied.

Kagome took a deep breath and leaned back. Inuyasha opened his eyes, startled by the deep emotion in Kagome’s blue irises.

“When I came to this city,” she began, “I was...broken. Really broken. But then I met you…”

Inuyasha ran his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion.

“I hope I can help put you back together,” he murmured.

Kagome smiled. “You already have.”

Kagome tightened her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Inuyasha buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of coconuts and flowers, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky in finding her.

After a few moments, she pulled away, looking up at him and smiling.

Her hands drifted up into his hair in the way she always did when she was silently requesting a kiss.

Inuyasha was more than happy to give her what she wanted, so he leaned down and met her lips with his, getting lost in her scent and the taste he knew so well.

She sighed against his mouth, a little different than the usual lightness. This sounded heavier, filled with a more intense desire than he was used to.

Inuyasha deepened the kiss as his hands roamed a little lower on her body. Kagome gasped and broke the kiss, allowing Inuyasha’s mouth to drift down her neck.

The pressure of her against him, the overwhelming sensation of her body, had Inuyasha kissing her a bit more enthusiastically before he finally picked her up against him.

Kagome wrapped herself around him as she switched the positions so she could press kisses along his neck.

Inuyasha walked over to the counter and set her down on it, kissing her senseless in the way he’d dreamt of doing for what felt like forever now.

He pulled her to the edge of the counter, allowing their bodies to plaster against each other as Kagome’s hands tangled in his hair and his claws ran up her back.

He didn’t know how much time they spent pressed against each other, getting lost in the firm, deep kisses until they finally slowed so Kagome could breathe.

When they pulled away, Kagome took a deep inhale and lay her head against him, her fingers gently brushing Inuyasha’s neck as she caught her breath.

Inuyasha hugged her but froze when he caught sight of the counter beneath her.

“Uh,” he began, “I think I might have set you down on some flour.” Kagome pulled away from him to look where she was sitting, and sure enough, she was surrounded by flour.

She laughed and slid off the counter, revealing a very large spot of flour on the back of her jeans.

“I’m sorry,” Inuyasha said as he started dusting the flour off. “I kinda got...carried away.”

Kagome smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay. I did, too. It was worth it, though.”

Amused, Inuyasha finished brushing off as much flour as he could before hugging her a final time.

“Back to work?” she asked. Inuyasha nodded, hoping they could resume the moment later.

“Back to work.”

o.O.o

The last batch of rolls was finished around four in the morning, which was vastly different than when he’d finished much later in the morning the last couple years he’d been doing it since taking over the bakery.

The final batch finished baking in the small oven in the apartment upstairs, so Inuyasha left it on the stove with a towel over it to keep it fresh.

“We’re done,” Inuyasha said, stretching his arms over his head. “That’s a relief.”

Kagome clapped her hands together. “Excellent! I think we did a pretty good job.”

Inuyasha smiled. “We can actually get some sleep if you’re tired. The festival doesn’t start until eleven so we don’t have to leave until nine to get everything set up at the booth.”

Kagome nodded. “That sounds good. I actually am a little tired.”

Inuyasha let Kagome take a shower first while he started cleaning up the remaining dishes in the sink.

When Kagome was done with her shower and clad in her pajamas, Inuyasha kissed her once before departing to the bathroom to take his own shower.

After he’d finished and slipped on a pair of sweatpants, opting to skip putting on a shirt because of the anticipated warmth of a second body in his bed, he went to his bedroom and found Kagome already tucked in under the covers.

Inuyasha smiled at the sight: only her head was visible with the blanket pulled all the way up to her neck as she snuggled into the warmth of the fabric.

Inuyasha set his alarm for eight so they would have time to get dressed and prepare the rest of the baked goods for transport. He slipped into the bed after putting

his phone on his nightstand, getting under the covers as Kagome scooted closer to him.

“Assume the position, honey,” she said warmly, opening her arms for him. Inuyasha chuckled and allowed her to guide him toward her, rolling to carefully lay against her, his head resting on her neck as she started rubbing his ears.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed in contentment, focusing on the feel of her fingers and the beat of her heart against his cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and nuzzling his nose against the skin of her throat.

He was grateful that she’d stopped hiding her scent when he was around her because she smelled so good, and felt so good, and loved him better than he could have ever imagined.

Eventually, her fingers migrated down to the bare skin of his back..

“Smooth,” she murmured as she lightly moved her hand over him. Her voice conveyed how sleepy she was, so Inuyasha pressed soft kisses against the part of her neck under his cheek.

He loved kissing her anywhere he could reach, especially on the soft skin of her neck. Her scent drew him in, kept him wanting to run his hands on her for as long as she wanted him to.

He brought up one of his hands, gliding his fingers over her neck as he continued to rain gentle kisses there until she sighed in a drowsy contentment.

“Love you,” she said as her motions on his back slowed as she started to fall asleep.

“Love you, too,” he murmured against her skin as they finally slipped into slumber.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome woke up before Inuyasha’s alarm went off and blushed at the way he still held her tightly even in his sleep and at the way his light exhales warmed the skin of her neck.

He was so beautiful, so special to her, and she had a silent moment of amusement as she realized that even though his bed was a queen-size, they were still curled up close enough together that they might as well have been on her smaller twin-size mattress.

She basked in the intimacy of being in his arms for about fifteen more minutes until his alarm started going off.

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he broke from his slumber. He placed a quick kiss on Kagome’s neck before he rolled over to turn off his alarm.

“Good morning,” he murmured as he rolled back over to lay against her skin. Kagome reached out and lightly ran her hand up and down his back, inhaling the sweet smell of the bakery that always clung to him.

“Good morning,” she replied. “Have I ever told you that you smell good? You’ve told me that I do, but I don’t think I’ve told you.”

Inuyasha chuckled and ran his claws through her hair. “What do I smell like?”

Kagome hummed. “The bakery. Sweet and rich and warm.”

“Huh,” Inuyasha said. “I’ve never really noticed my own scent.”

Kagome laughed. “My baker boy smells like his bakery.”

Inuyasha nuzzled her neck with his nose. “And you like it?”

Kagome leaned back to look at him. “I love it.”

Inuyasha reached up to stroke her cheek, his eyes radiating the love she knew he felt for her.

He kissed her then, his hand migrating into her hair to control the pressure and depth of the kiss.

“I love you,” he murmured against her lips before resuming their kiss.

Kagome wrapped her arms around him, trying to pour all the love she had for him into her embrace, into the kiss.

She knew he felt it by the way he reciprocated every touch.

When they finally parted to start the day, Kagome watched him move to sit on the edge of the bed, raising his arms over his head to stretch before running his claws through his messy hair.

 _I wonder what it would be like,_ she mused, _to have this every morning..._

To be continued…


	18. The Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I modeled the festival after one that takes place in my town (although not this year because of the pandemic). I wanted us to have something different than the usual settings in the story, and I think they also deserve to have some fun.  
> And maybe reveal a few things you’ve been wondering.  
> Buckle up, kids.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 18: The Festival**

Miroku returned to the apartment shortly after Kagome and Inuyasha had gotten ready for the day.

“Good morning,” he greeted when he walked in. “How did the baking go last night? It smells good.”

Inuyasha grabbed the container of rolls from the previous night and prepared to take them downstairs.

“We got everything done,” he explained. “We just gotta get it all ready to take over. We also need our table stuff with all our info.”

“Is Shippo coming?” Kagome asked as she followed Inuyasha downstairs.

“Yeah, but later,” Inuyasha explained. “He'll probably just stop by to say hi. I’m guessing he’ll want to be with his friends. Now there’s a lot to do, so let’s get to it.”

Once they had everything packed up and ready, Inuyasha explained their plan.

“It’s a pretty short walk to the festival site from here,” he said. “With the three of us, we should be able to get everything there in one trip. Ready?”

At Miroku and Kagome’s nods of confirmation, they grabbed the containers and set off.

o.O.o

Inuyasha was grateful that the sun was shining; it took the edge off the cold, so he knew Kagome wouldn’t be too uncomfortable sitting out there with him.

The Shikon Festival closed off three streets on the western side of the city, and traffic was easily diverted after the many years of the event. The three streets were filled with the food booths as well as the many carnival-style games.

The booth was in a great location just like Miroku had said: it was on the middle street, which was too loud in Inuyasha’s opinion since it was in the middle of all the action, but was great for business. There was a plethora of smells throughout the festival as the food vendors either set their food out or began cooking with their mini-fryers and other food prep items. It was overwhelming to his hanyo senses, but the look of excitement on Kagome’s face had him quickly forgetting about it.

“This is great!” she exclaimed. “It smells amazing.”

Inuyasha smiled at her eagerness as he set out their display.

Due to the cold, Inuyasha planned on just having one of each item set out on the table while he kept the others in the thermal-protected containers under their table. They also had a nice red table cloth and price labels, as well as business cards and photos of the bakery. The booth looked as good as it always did.

They finished setting up shortly before the festival was set to officially begin, so Inuyasha allowed himself to relish the short bout of peace they would have before the day became annoyingly busy.

Kagome was looking around eagerly after they’d gotten their foldable chairs set out, her eyes bright with curiosity and excitement.

Inuyasha smiled and reached over to take her hand. “We can take a look around later if you want.” Her hand felt a little cold in his grasp, so he used both of his hands to try and gently rub some warmth back into her skin.

“I hope you brought gloves, woman,” he asked as he switched to her other hand. “You’re already cold.” Kagome smiled.

“You’re too good to me,” she teased. “I have gloves in my pocket. I’ll go ahead and put them on.” Inuyasha wouldn’t deny his disappointment at letting go of her hands, but he would rather her be warm so he let go without hesitation.

There would be time for all that later, after all.

Miroku was organizing their money box from where he was sitting on the other side of Inuyasha, so he missed the little exchange, allowing Inuyasha to avoid the extra teasing.

“We should be good with change,” Miroku said, bringing Inuyasha out of his thoughts. “I think it’s going to be a great day.”

Inuyasha nodded and sent a quick smile to Kagome before their first customer of the festival approached the booth.

And the day began.

o.O.o

Shippo visited the booth about two hours into the festival, and he was overjoyed to see Kagome.

Just as Inuyasha expected, he was with a group of his friends, so he didn’t stay too long.

After Shippo left, Inuyasha heard Miroku sigh from next to him.

“What’s wrong?” the hanyo asked. Miroku’s attention was on his phone, a disappointed look on his face.

“My lady won’t be joining us today,” he said sadly. “She got called in for an extra shift.” Inuyasha frowned.

“That sucks,” he replied. “You should invite her over to the bakery again sometime soon. I’ll cook us all dinner or something.”

Miroku smiled. “Thanks, I just might do that. Why don't you and Kagome take a break? I’m sure she’ll want to see everything.”

“Are you sure?” Inuyasha asked. Miroku nodded.

“Yeah, we’ve hit a bit of a lull anyway,” he replied. “Go have fun.” Inuyasha smiled.

“Thanks.”

He turned his attention to Kagome and set a hand on her knee. “You wanna go look around? Miroku’s gonna man the booth for a bit.” Kagome’s eyes lit up.

“Yes!” She smiled at Miroku. “Thanks, Miroku.”

“Have fun, you two,” Miroku said kindly.

Inuyasha took Kagome’s hand before tugging her up behind him.

She tightly held onto his hand and wrapped her free one around his arm as they started walking through the street.

“There’s so much stuff,” she commented. “This is awesome!” Inuyasha smiled at her excitement as they milled around all the vendors.

“Oh, look!” she said as she pointed to one of the games. “Can I win you a teddy bear?”

Inuyasha chuckled. _“You_ want to win _me_ a teddy bear?” Kagome nudged him.

“The girl can win the boy a prize, too,” she teased.

Kagome tugged him over to the booth, which had multiple balloons hanging on a board.

“Welcome,” the vendor greeted. “You get five darts for each time you pay. If you hit a balloon with every dart, you can pick any prize.”

“Thanks,” Kagome said as she paid him and took the small darts.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened as his sweet girlfriend’s brows knit together fiercely and her mouth press into a firm line of concentration.

And all in rapid succession, she threw the darts and hit balloons each time.

“Winner!” the vendor announced. “Pick whichever prize you’d like.”

Inuyasha’s eyes were wide as Kagome picked a massive teddy bear.

“Thank you!” she called as she and Inuyasha began to walk away.

“For you, honey,” Kagome said as she adjusted the large bear in her arms. It was easily half her size, and Inuyasha wondered how she expected to drag that around with her as they walked.

“That was impressive,” Inuyasha complimented. “You looked great with those darts.”

Kagome smiled. “I’m a master with a bow and arrow,” she said. “So I have pretty good aim.”

Inuyasha figured she was referring to her miko training; they tended to use bows and arrows, so it made sense to Inuyasha.

“I see,” he replied. “You’re using your skills for good, huh?”

Kagome beamed. “Yes, I most certainly am.”

They walked around a little while longer, trying different foods and playing a few more games.

Inuyasha talked her into letting him win her something next.

He took the huge teddy bear from her as she perused the prizes. She picked out a plush cat with a cartoonish face, calling her gratitude to the vendor before wrapping her arm around Inuyasha’s waist as they left the booth.

“Thank you,” she chirped as she ran her hand up his back. “Look at us, winning all the prizes.”

Inuyasha laughed and switched the teddy bear into one arm so he could wrap his other arm around Kagome’s shoulders.

When they returned to Ukiyo’s booth, Miroku was finishing up a sale with a customer. When he finished, he turned to greet Inuyasha and Kagome but laughed immediately when he caught sight of the teddy bear Inuyasha was carting around.

“Looks like you two had a good time,” he teased lightly.

Kagome smiled. “I won that bear for Inuyasha. Impressive, right?”

Miroku smirked. “Very impressive! But come on, Inuyasha. Can’t you win your own stuff?” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Hey, now,” he retorted. “I won the cat for her.” Miroku and Kagome laughed, and Inuyasha gave in a moment later and chuckled along with them.

As they sat back down and the festival continued, Inuyasha felt a pinch of familiar sadness start to well up in his heart.

He’d known it was coming, but with Kagome there to help distract him, he’d been able to pretty much avoid it.

But he was sad. He missed his parents, and although this wasn’t the first year working the festival without them, it still hadn’t gotten any easier.

Miroku caught onto his drop in mood and gave him an encouraging smile. Inuyasha smiled back, grateful for his best friend’s constant support.

The rest of the festival went off without a hitch, and when the day had wrapped up and Miroku told Inuyasha how much money they’d made, it only made it that much better.

Once they’d cleaned up and gotten back to the bakery, Inuyasha was tired.

Despite his insistence that Kagome didn’t have to help wash the containers up, she insisted she did.

After that was done, Miroku left to go see his girlfriend after her extra shift, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone in the bakery.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?” Inuyasha asked. “It’s been a long day. It might be nice to just chill.” Kagome nodded and followed him upstairs.

She laughed again when she saw the bear sitting on the couch where Inuyasha had set it while they cleaned up. The cat Inuyasha had won was there, too, but it looked much less impressive as it rested against the bear.

“You can hug the bear at night and pretend it’s me,” she teased. Inuyasha laughed and pulled her close.

“It’ll be a close second to actually having you with me,” he joked. Kagome hugged him tightly before releasing him.

“So what movie do you wanna watch?”

o.O.o

Inuyasha had every intention of watching the movie, he really did, but when Kagome laid down next to him on the couch and curled up against him, he wondered if she would be okay with missing the first few minutes of the film.

He gently ran his claws up and down her arm, eliciting a sigh from her as she snuggled closer to him. Inuyasha placed several kisses on her cheek before slowly moving his lips down toward her neck.

“If I had to guess,” Kagome said, already sounding breathless, “I would say you’re a little distracted.”

Inuyasha nuzzled his nose against her. “How could I not be?”

Kagome laughed lightly and rolled over to face him. She leaned in first, guiding his face down into a proper kiss.

Inuyasha sighed against her mouth as he returned the kiss, keeping it light and slow.

The brush of her lips against his was something that still felt so new and special, and he wondered when that newness would shift into an old sort of burn that felt more like tradition than novelty.

The sadness Inuyasha had felt earlier was soothed by Kagome’s presence, and he wondered how he could ever be without her.

He hoped it wouldn’t ever come to that.

When they pulled away, Kagome smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek.

“Can I ask you something?” she requested. At Inuyasha’s nod, Kagome grew serious.

“You looked really sad at the festival for a little while,” she said. “What was wrong?”

Inuyasha paused, a little caught-off guard by her question but not surprised that she’d picked up on the small bout of sadness he’d had.

“It’s just...hard without my parents,” he explained. “My dad died when I was a kid so it was always mostly me, my mom, and Miroku, but after my mom died...it hasn’t really gotten any easier.”

Kagome smoothed his hair comfortingly. “I’m so sorry. Was it...a sudden death?” Inuyasha grimaced.

“Yeah…” He took a deep breath. “She was murdered.” Kagome’s eyes widened.

“Oh, Inuyasha,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry.” Her blue eyes were filled with empathy, the clearness of them silently comforting him.

“It was two years ago, like I’ve said before,” he explained. “She went to the store for...chocolate chips, I think. We were making extra cookies that day or something like that, just because we wanted something a little sweet. When she was on her way home, she was mugged and robbed. A witness said he saw her get yanked off the street and into an alley. He heard a gunshot and then saw the perp run off.” Inuyasha felt a stinging in his eyes, but he tried to keep his voice leveled.

“I’m so sorry, Inuyasha,” Kagome said quietly.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. “When she died, I knew I needed to take over the bakery. It was too special to give up.”

“I admire you,” Kagome said as she lay her head against his chest. “That takes a lot of courage.” Inuyasha sighed.

“Miroku immediately offered to take it over with me,” he continued. “So...that helped. The only thing that I can’t really get over is that the guy who killed her got away. They were able to identify him, but they never caught him. Apparently he’s a repeat offender. He was charged with arson and murder five years ago in a small town up north, but he ran.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“He recruited some teenager to help him with that one,” he continued. “They started a pretty bad fire that killed a few people. She got away, too.” He felt Kagome stiffen in his arms.

“What were their names?” she asked. Inuyasha frowned.

“They didn’t release the accomplice’s name because she was under eighteen,” he replied. “But the main guy was Naraku Onigumo. He’s the one that killed my mother.” Kagome froze and looked up at him.

“Naraku,” she repeated, her eyes wide.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, craning his head to look at her. “Have you heard of him or something?” Kagome, whose face had gone pale, looked away from him.

“It’s just...a strange name.”

Kagome was quiet for a moment before she finally laid her head back on his chest, her body still tense.

“I’m sorry,” she said almost inaudibly. “That must have been horrible.” Inuyasha, although still confused, just tried to take her odd reaction in stride.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “But life goes on.”

They fell into a silence as their gazes drifted to the movie playing on the TV. Inuyasha barely focused on it, and from the way he could feel Kagome’s heart beating faster than usual, he could tell she wasn’t paying much attention to it either.

“Are you alright?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m fine,” she replied, placing a quick kiss to his chest before laying her head against him.

Inuyasha didn’t believe her, but he didn’t want to press too much if she didn't want to talk about whatever had upset her.

 _The fire, you idiot!_ he realized. _She’s scared of fire and you just mentioned a murderer whose murder weapon was fire!_

“I shouldn’t have mentioned that about the fire,” Inuyasha said. “I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t freak you out with that.”

Kagome shook her head against him. “No, you didn’t. That’s not...don’t worry, Inuyasha. I’m fine.”

They slipped into a quiet moment again as Kagome curled up a bit closer against him. Inuyasha ran his claws through her hair as they lay there, neither one talking as the movie played on.

When it was over, Kagome seemed more tired than uneasy.

“Do you wanna just stay here tonight?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome sighed.

“I didn’t bring any more clean clothes,” she replied, “and I have to work in the morning.”

Inuyasha grabbed their jackets while Kagome packed up her overnight bag. He took her hand once they’d left, clutching it tightly as a fear he couldn’t quite name started flurrying around his mind.

Kagome was quiet for the most part as they walked to her building, and when they reached the door to her apartment, Inuyasha tugged her into his embrace.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, oddly uncertain of the answer. Kagome clutched him tightly.

“Of course, honey,” she finally replied. With that, she leaned up and gently kissed him.

Then she entered the apartment and closed the door behind her.

Inuyasha let out a puff of air and started to head back to the bakery.

“Weird…” he said out loud.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome stared at the newspaper article that had been printed shortly after her eighteenth birthday.

She stared at the photo of him...and the photo of herself on the other side.

After she’d turned eighteen, they could finally publish her name and picture along with his on the wanted ad from the fire and the murders.

Her thoughts drifted to the day her life changed, the day it all started with no way to know what would come from that initial meeting...

_“Darling!” the girl’s mother called. “Your new sensei is here!” The little girl skipped toward her mother’s voice._

_Although she was nervous to begin her miko training, she was also very excited._

_A smile broke onto her face as she turned the corner to the foyer of her house._

_But upon seeing whom she presumed was her new sensei, the smile disappeared and she froze._

_There was something odd about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it._

_He saw her before her mother did, and when they made eye contact, the little girl felt herself go cold. His red eyes held a harsh gleam that she’d never seen anyone possess, and she felt like there was something very, very wrong with him._

_“There you are, darling,” her mother said when she finally saw her. The little girl turned to her mother and then back to the sensei. His face had morphed into a smile, but that cold look in his eyes remained._

_“This is your new sensei,” her mother informed her. The sensei bowed, his eyes never leaving hers._

_“It is a pleasure,” he said in a quiet voice. “I am Naraku.”_

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA.  
> I know one person saw the whole “Naraku is the sensei” coming, but did anyone else? :)  
> This is just the tip of the iceberg!


	19. The Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fun news: if you hop over to my tumblr, you’ll see that I have a post with different YouTube playlists to go with some of my stories. This story has a playlist, as well as "The Captain and the Hanyo," "From the Delta," and "The Goshinboku Hotel & Suites." If you don’t have tumblr, you can just look those up on YouTube because each playlist’s title is the story title. You can also just search up my name, Jane Mason, and it should come up. My picture on YouTube is the same as on here, a little cartoon me. Do I look like what you were expecting? ;)  
> Without further ado, here’s chapter 19.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 19: The Shift**

Kagome was acting...different.

Inuyasha noticed it in the days following the festival; there was a desperation in her that he couldn’t figure out, and he wondered what could have possibly sparked that change.

When they were together, Kagome was always touching him. There was never a moment in which she wasn’t touching his hand or pressing at least some part of herself against him when they were walking or laying on her loveseat or even just sitting around the bakery eating leftover rolls.

She wasn’t being clingy per say, but she always held him like it was going to be the last time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like it; he was just worried about the sudden change.

A few nights after the festival, they were curled up on her loveseat as Kagome practically stuck herself to him like another layer of skin.

He ran his hand up and down her back, allowing his fingers to linger in her hair every few moments.

“Kagome, what’s been going on?” Inuyasha asked, his voice radiating concern. “You’ve been acting...off.”

Kagome shook her head. “Nothing, honey. I’m fine.”

_Why doesn’t she just talk to me? She’s opened up to me about a lot of stuff recently, but I can tell there’s more she’s hiding._

Kagome was silent from where she lay against his side, her heart pounding against him.

“Hey,” he said, finally pulling back to look down at her. “Your heart is racing like it’s about to explode. Please, Kagome, tell me what’s wrong.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with fear as she bit her lip.

“I…” She took a deep breath. “I’ve just been thinking about what you said about your mom, and…it reminded me of my family.”

Inuyasha paused, not having expected that. “Oh...you must miss them a lot, huh?”

Kagome nodded. “Yeah.”

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her again and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry. Maybe you can visit them soon? I would offer to come, but they probably wouldn’t be too keen on a youkai coming around.”

Kagome buried her face in his shirt. “It’s too hard to visit them. They would like you, though. My brother especially. He always wanted an older brother instead of just me, but...”

She fell into silence, and the whole exchange was so sad that Inuyasha just held her close.

 _If it’s hard to visit them,_ he mused, _then that means it’s probably been a long time since she’s seen them. I can understand why saying I was sad about my mom would upset her. I guess she’s feeling a similar emotion._

Inuyasha moved to place several kisses on her cheek before leaning his head against hers.

Kagome ran her hand down his chest, sliding it back up slightly under his shirt to warm up her still-chilly fingers. “My brother and I used to run around our shrine catching frogs. We lived near a pond, so there were frogs everywhere.” She laughed lightly. “One time when he was four and I was ten, we fell into the pond and got soaked. It was shallow so we weren't in danger of drowning, but we got in a lot of trouble for trailing water all throughout the house when we came inside. We weren’t allowed to go frog-hunting for a whole month.”

Inuyasha smiled. “That sounds really nice.” Kagome hummed.

“Yeah, it was. We always had a lot of fun doing it. We always put the frogs back, though. My dad used to joke about frying them up for dinner just to make me and my brother scream.”

She sighed. “It’s nice to talk about the good memories. I don’t really do it much anymore.”

Inuyasha continued to run his hand up and down her back. “Do you have any friends back home?” Kagome shook her head.

“I had a best friend when I was little,” she replied, “but...I think she died.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Kagome. That’s awful.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Kagome replied. “I’m being such a downer. How about I make us more tea?” Before Inuyasha could respond, Kagome kissed him quickly before gently untangling herself from him and got up to put the kettle on the stove.

Inuyasha sat up on the loveseat and gazed over the back of it to watch Kagome prepare the tea.

_Something is definitely strange here._

O.o.O.o.O

Later that night, Kagome took a deep breath, trying to stave off the wave of nausea that came over her as she reflected on the conversation she’d had with Inuyasha.

_So many lies...I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. Inuyasha knows me too well; he knows I’m hiding something from him. I’m hiding so much from him._

Kagome lay in her bed restlessly, sleep evading her as she realized how deep of a hole she’d dug.

She’d fallen in love, _deeply_ in love, which she’d never expected to do. She’d known it was dangerous when her feelings for Inuyasha had started to develop, but she dove headfirst into him anyway.

Kagome had known from the beginning that it wasn’t smart. She’d known it wasn’t wise. She’d known it could end up completely blowing up in her face.

But now that she’d allowed herself to indulge in those feelings, in the warmth Inuyasha so freely gave her...she was happy. So happy.

_But knowing about his mom and what Naraku did to her...on top of the lies I’ve told him about my family…_

It was starting to become too much.

And it all came to a head when the next day as she walked to work, when she could have sworn she caught the terrifying aura she'd tried so hard to forget.

Kagome froze from where she was walking and looked around. There wasn't anyone else nearby, and she didn't want to risk flaring her own aura to try and search it out.

After a moment of sensing nothing else, Kagome figured she was being extra paranoid after the recent conversations she'd had about Naraku. Despite that, she’d still been extra cautious when walking the rest of the way to work and then later that evening when walking to the bakery to meet Inuyasha.

_I’m so scared to lose this life I’ve made here. What am I going to do if it all falls apart?_

To be continued...


	20. The Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was so fun to see everyone’s guesses on Kagome’s past. You guys are awesome!  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 20: The Fire**

Inuyasha walked to the small store shortly before Kagome’s shift ended. After their conversation the night before, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, so he went to the store to walk with her rather than wait at the bakery.

Kagome smiled in pleasant surprise when she exited the store and saw Inuyasha.

“Hey,” he greeted with a smile as she walked into his arms.

“Hi, honey,” she replied as she hugged him tightly. “This is a nice surprise.” She smiled up at him when they pulled away and quickly kissed him before taking his hand.

They fell into a conversation about their days as they walked, and Inuyasha smiled when Kagome laughed at the silly antics Shippo had done and the flour spill he’d had that had covered him in the white powder. The kitsune had laughed when it happened, and Inuyasha chuckled at his amusement.

When they reached Kagome’s apartment, they slipped their coats off and Kagome went to the stove to make some tea.

Unable to resist, Inuyasha came over to wrap his arms around her from behind, pulling her against him as she turned on the stove and prepared the tea. He planted little kisses on her cheek before nuzzling his nose against her neck. He knew she needed the extra touches, so he did his best to shower her with as much affection as possible.

Kagome put the kettle on the stove and turned around in his embrace to smile up at him.

“You smell so good,” she replied. “I feel like I went to the bakery.”

Inuyasha chucked quietly. “I’m glad you like the bakery scent. It probably smells like extra flour today.”

Kagome slid her hands up his chest and brushed her nose against his.

“You know,” she murmured, “there’s no flour on my counter…” Inuyasha’s eyes widened at the subtle suggestion, but he didn’t hesitate in leaning down to kiss her firmly.

He picked her up, allowing her to wrap her body around him, much like she had the night before the festival when he’d sat her in a pile of flour by mistake. After adjusting his hold on her, Inuyasha walked to the opposite counter to avoid accidentally touching the hot stove.

Kagome’s full-body grip around him was as desperate as it had been for the last few days as she ran her hands over his neck and kissed him deeply.

Inuyasha ran his hands over her shoulders before sliding them down her sides, eventually anchoring them on her thighs to pull her closer.

Kagome sighed against his lips and wrapped her arms fully around his neck, tilting her head and revealing the sweet taste of her mouth.

They stayed like that until the kettle on the stove began to whistle, effectively breaking them from their passionate stupor.

Kagome pulled away and smiled up at him, a blush on her cheeks and her breathing a bit heavy.

“Tea’s ready,” she said softly. Inuyasha kissed her a final time before relinquishing his hold on her. She slid off the counter and grabbed two teacups.

“You can go sit down,” she said as she took the kettle off the burner. “I’ll bring the cups over in a minute.”

“Thanks.” Inuyasha kissed her cheek once more before walking over to sit on her loveseat.

As he sat down, he heard a crinkle underneath him, so he moved to see what he’d sat on.

Between the couch cushions, he found a balled-up piece of paper shoved down a bit. Upon further inspection, he saw it was part of a newspaper.

It was from just about two years prior, the date labeled as shortly after Inuyasha’s mother’s funeral. It described a house fire that had occurred five years earlier

that had been deemed a crime of arson and murder, and it featured two names and two pictures labeling the fugitives. He recognized the name of the town in which it had occurred as well as the name of one of the fugitives; it was the fire Naraku and his teenaged accomplice had started.

There was a second name with Naraku’s, so Inuyasha figured the accomplice had turned eighteen around the time his mother’s funeral had occurred. Inuyasha hadn’t bothered to go back and check if the accomplice had been named.

But now, looking down at the familiar name printed right next to Naraku’s, along with the crimes for which they were wanted, Inuyasha froze.

**\--Naraku Onigumo, Fugitive at Large--**

**\--Wanted for Arson, Murder in the First Degree--**

**\--Kagome Higurashi, Fugitive at Large--**

**\--Wanted for Arson, Murder in the Second Degree--**

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. His hands clenched into fists at Naraku’s name and picture, but his blood ran cold when he saw Kagome’s picture.

_Kagome H. That’s what was on her mailbox. The H. must be for Higurashi._

Kagome had never told him her last name, and now he realized it must have been to protect her identity.

In the picture, she looked younger than she did now, her face devoid of scars, which didn’t surprise him because it must have been taken more than five years ago before the fire. Inuyasha figured that was the one from which she’d gotten the scars on her face.

The article listed an extra note naming Kagome as the daughter and sister of the family members that were murdered in the fire, and Inuyasha thought back to what Kagome had said about her family.

_It’s too hard to visit them…_

Inuyasha nearly choked.

Because they were _dead._

Burned.

_Murdered._

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome as she poured the tea into two cups.

'Kagome...is this what you’ve been hiding all this time?'

“Okay,” Kagome said as she brought the two cups of tea over. “Here you go.” Inuyasha looked up at her, confusion in his eyes.

“What is this?” he asked in disbelief. Kagome’s face paled when she saw the paper in his hand.

“Where did you find that?” Kagome asked urgently. Inuyasha frowned.

“This is a wanted ad,” he said, ignoring her question. “With your name and picture on it. And Naraku, too? What...how…?” Kagome’s eyes filled with fear as she set the cups on the coffee table.

“Inuyasha, it’s not true,” she protested.

“I believe you,” Inuyasha said immediately. “I really do, but I need you to tell me why you’re listed as wanted for murder with Naraku of all people.”

Tears began to fall down Kagome’s cheeks.

“Inuyasha...I...”

Inuyasha trusted Kagome. He knew there must have been some sort of explanation.

_But what could it possibly be?_

Kagome looked more torn and conflicted than he'd ever seen her, and Inuyasha realized just how little he knew about her past.

“Kagome,” he prodded. “Tell me. _Please.”_

“Naraku killed my family,” she finally said. “He killed them…I never would have helped him.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened at Kagome’s confession.

“He murdered them,” she said. “I saw my parents burning...I watched him set my brother on fire in his bed and I could smell the charred bodies of them all. I was the only one that survived...” Her voice broke off into a sob.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said quietly as he moved over to wrap his arms around her. “What happened?”

Kagome looked up at him, cheeks wet, eyes glassy, as she told him the tale that had been haunting her for the last five years.

\---

_Five Years Previous:_

_Pop! Scratch! Clink!_

_The fifteen-year-old girl woke with a start to unfamiliar noises. She sat up in bed, wondering if she should go investigate._

_An odd smell provoked a sneeze, and then another, and then another._

_Curiosity overpowering her after the fifth sneeze, she rolled out of bed and walked to her bedroom door._

_Kagome saw the smoke coming through the bottom of the door before she’d even opened it._

_Without hesitation, she covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her pajama top and opened the door. Despite the fabric on her face, she erupted into a coughing fit._

_The hallway was filled with smoke, but she couldn’t see any source._

_She dropped onto the floor to crawl along it, but an awful stench filled her noise and her hands and knees were immediately soaked._

_Somehow even more surprised than she already was, Kagome lifted one of her hands to her face and smelled the liquid._

_'Gasoline?' she asked herself. That’s when she realized that the house was on fire._

_And someone had started it on purpose._

_She crawled as quickly as she could to her parents’ room. Without thinking, she grabbed the door handle and opened the door, subsequently burning her hand on the scorching metal._

_Flames met her as soon as she opened the door, and she saw that her parents’ bed was on fire. She could barely make out the two bodies burning in the flames._

_“Mother!” she screamed. “Father!” But she knew by then._

_They were dead. Stifling a sob, she ran to her little brother’s room._

_“Sota!” she yelled as she opened his door. When she walked in, she saw someone lighting a match and tossing it on the bed of her asphyxiated brother._

_“Sensei-sama?!” Kagome shrieked. “What are you doing?” Her sensei looked up at her before pulling a gas mask down to his neck so she could see the evil smile on his face._

_“Oh, my,” he said calmly as he walked away from Sota’s bed while tossing the match behind him. Sota’s bed immediately went up into flames. “Your room was next…I was so hoping to watch you burn just like the rest of them.”_

_“What are you doing?” Kagome screamed again._

_The sensei pulled his mask back up over his nose and mouth before he lit another match._

_“Time to die,” he replied. Kagome’s eyes widened as her sensei threw the match at her._

_And then everything went dark._

\---

Kagome was nearly incoherent with gut-wrenching sobs by the time she’d told Inuyasha everything. He was horrified by what she’d gone through, and he knew that it must have been killing her to have to keep the whole ordeal a complete secret.

“Naraku was out for my family from the start,” she said. “He framed me so that it would look like I was helping him. That's the main reason I hide my aura. Naraku knows it like the back of his hand, so having my aura on display is like having a target on my back. I have to move to a new area at least twice a year because I’ve been on the run for crimes I didn’t commit. They can’t find Naraku either so there’s no evidence that I’m innocent. So...I'm hiding from Naraku and the police.” She tried to wipe her tears, only for more to continue falling.

“I was fifteen when this all happened,” she said. “I woke up in the hospital in handcuffs. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, so I ran at the first chance I got. Two of the guards were youkai, so they were uneasy around me because of my power. I wouldn’t ever hurt them, but when I ran, they thought I would purify them so I was able to get away. Naraku escaped after I did, but he told the police that I’d helped him before he ran. My throat was badly damaged from all of the smoke inhalation and my hands were burned, so I couldn’t talk to give my own version of the story before I got away.” She looked up at Inuyasha.

“I should’ve told you sooner,” she said remorsefully. “I hate that you had to find out like this. It’s just…after we talked about my family, I dug that old newspaper up and then I must have left it out here. I’m so sorry.” Inuyasha shook his head and pulled her into his arms.

“Oh, baby,” he murmured into her hair. “Stop.” His voice was kind, gentle. He felt her relax against him and release a sigh.

“I’ve got you,” he said. “You’re in danger, aren’t you?” Kagome nodded.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I am. If Naraku finds me...I don’t even know what he would do to me. Kill me, torture me, something. He hated my family, but I never found out why. All I know is that he wanted us all dead.” Inuyasha took a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry. But I’m in this with you, Kagome. A hundred percent.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “Meeting you…it’s the first good thing that’s happened to me since then. I’m so sorry I lied.”

Inuyasha didn’t care that she’d lied. All he wanted was for her to be okay.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he replied softly. “I’m just glad I know now. I can’t imagine how you feel. Do you...do you think Naraku could find you soon, though? Is that something we need to worry about right now or do you think you’re pretty safe?”

Kagome hesitated. “I...think I’m safe. I should be fine.” She patted his hand. “I have some photos of my family if you want to see them...since you can’t ever meet them.” Inuyasha nodded.

“Sure,” he replied. Kagome let go of him to retrieve the photos from her bedroom. When she returned, she had a photo album in her arms.

She sat down next to Inuyasha and opened up the album.

Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her as she told him about each member of her family: her mom, her dad, and her little brother, Sota. There were several pictures of her whole family, a few of just Kagome and her brother or Kagome with a parent. Inuyasha saw one of Kagome and her little brother holding up frogs, and he was reminded of her story about them frog-hunting.

There was another photo that caught Inuyasha’s eye: it was of Kagome and another young girl.

Inuyasha frowned. The other girl looked oddly familiar.

“Who is this?” Inuyasha asked as he pointed to the girl. Kagome smiled sadly.

“That’s Sango,” she replied. “She was my best friend. I think...I think Naraku killed her and her family. I haven’t seen her since I was fourteen. They all just disappeared one day after I got in trouble for playing with Sango and her brother.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened.

“Kagome,” he said urgently. “I know her. That’s the girl Miroku’s dating. She's a nurse at the hospital on the south side of the city.”

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. “What? No, that’s impossible. Naraku...he made her disappear. He had to have killed her.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I’m positive that’s the same person Miroku is dating. She’s a little younger, around twenty-two, I think.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s how old she would have been. She was two years older than me.” The tears began to fall as Kagome’s attention turned back to the photo.

“Sango is alive,” she whispered. “After all this time…”

Inuyasha took her hand. “You get to see her again. I’ll ask Miroku if he can bring her to the bakery one night and then you can meet up with her.”

Kagome immediately shook her head, her gaze snapping back up to Inuyasha.

“No, I can’t,” she replied. “I’ve been framed for the murder of my entire family.”

Inuyasha looked at her seriously. “Do you really think your best friend would believe you did that? Kagome, I knew something wasn’t right when I saw that article. I knew you weren’t capable of doing that, and we’ve known each other for way less time than I’m sure you knew Sango. So...I don’t think you need to worry about her thinking you did it.”

Kagome bit her lip, mulling over what he said.

Finally, she nodded. “Okay.” She closed the photo album and set it on the coffee table in front of them next to their forgotten cups of tea, her eyes still sad and her cheeks still wet from tears.

“But,” Inuyasha began, “does that mean Sango is a miko?” Kagome's eyes widened as she shook her head.

“No,” she replied. “She came from a family of taijiya, but Sango was like me. She thought killing youkai just for being youkai was wrong.”

Inuyasha nodded, more than a little relieved that his best friend’s girlfriend wasn't going to kill him.

“I’m sorry,” Kagome said, her voice nearly inaudible. “I’m...a lot more than I’m sure you were expecting. I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay with me just because I’m a mess. I meant it when I said you’d helped put me back together, so...if this is too much, I’ll be okay.”

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“I won’t be okay without you,” he replied quietly. “No matter what, that’s never gonna change. I’m in this with you, Kagome, all the way. I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”

Kagome pulled away a bit to look up at him, the surprise evident in her eyes.

“Why?” she asked in a wavering voice. Inuyasha leaned down to touch his forehead against hers.

“You know why,” he murmured. “Kagome...I am so in love with you.”

She breathed a heavy sigh before pulling him down to kiss her. Inuyasha responded immediately, his arms moving to wrap around her waist.

Kagome’s hands slid into his hair as she parted her lips, silently asking him to deepen the kiss.

He obliged, getting lost in the sweet taste on her tongue as he moved her to lay down on the loveseat.

She pulled him the rest of the way on top of her, molding her body to his, daring him to move against her a little more.

Inuyasha didn’t bother stifling the sound that escaped him given that Kagome was reacting the same.

He’d kissed her countless times, but this was the most heated it had gotten between them, and Inuyasha wondered if her body was scorching in the same way he felt like his was.

He moved his kisses down to her chin, then her jaw, then her neck. He showered her throat with deep, lingering kisses that had her making the most incredible noises he’d ever heard.

When he moved his way back up to her mouth, she responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck as if she were scared he would break the kiss at any moment.

As if he possibly could.

He wanted to make sure she knew, in no uncertain terms, that he was there for her, that he would try his hardest to protect her if she would just let him.

Eventually, he slowed the kisses, reminding himself that she was human and was probably more than a little breathless.

He nestled his face against her neck, placing a few final kisses before moving slightly off of her and hugging her close.

Kagome took a deep, quiet breath before running her hand up and down Inuyasha’s back.

“My sweetest man,” she murmured. “I love you, too.”

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome bit her lip as she watched the slumbering hanyo next to her.

Inuyasha asked if he could sleep over at Kagome's apartment, and after the evening they’d had, she was more than willing to let him stay.

He’d worn sweatpants that evening, so Kagome could tell he was a little more comfortable as he slept peacefully in her bed.

They were quiet for a long while after Kagome had told him everything, but the comforting caresses of Inuyasha’s hands against her back spoke volumes to his love for her, his support, his protection.

He'd showered her scars with kisses once they went to bed, much like he had the first time he'd stayed over.

His hands were everywhere: her waist, her arms, her hair, her cheeks. His touches were laced with a slow desperation, one Kagome knew she herself had been exuding lately.

Now Inuyasha understood why, and she could tell he knew the implications of what it meant to want to stay by her side.

But he stayed by her side anyway.

Kagome admired him as he slept. His face was serene, his little dog ears twitching every so often with his arms wrapped securely around her as he breathed lightly in his sleep.

Kagome’s heart clenched with fear.

_He's involved now. If this goes wrong, he'll go down with me._

Her heart was starting to break in a new way as dread filled her at the risks Inuyasha was taking just by being with her.

_I'm so selfish...I should just let him go. I should just leave. I should have told him that I thought I sensed Naraku earlier. I can’t keep hiding things from him, not anymore._

But then Inuyasha stirred in his sleep and rolled over slightly to rest his face against her neck.

He sighed and nestled her skin in a very puppy-like fashion, and Kagome felt tears come to her eyes at his gentleness.

A tear escaped before she could stop it, and as soon as it landed on the pillow under her head, Inuyasha stirred again.

“Kagome?” he said in a sleepy voice. “What's wrong?”

Kagome reached up to run her hands through his hair, figuring the sudden scent of her tear had woken him up.

“There’s one more thing I didn’t tell you,” she murmured. “And...I think you should know.”

Inuyasha tightened his arm around her body, holding her closer to him. “Okay. What is it?”

Kagome sighed. “I think I was just being paranoid, but it felt like I sensed Naraku’s aura earlier when I was walking to work.” Inuyasha was quiet for a moment before he sat up to look at her.

There was a serious gleam in his eyes and a deep frown on his face.

“Kagome,” he said. “Do you really think you were being paranoid? Or do you think it’s a legitimate concern that you sensed him?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know. I think I might have just been paranoid...and it was only for a split second. I never sensed it again.”

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment. “You have to tell me if it happens again. We can’t...we can’t have those secrets anymore.”

Kagome nodded. “Okay. I’ll tell you if it happens again.” Inuyasha kissed her forehead and lay his head back down against her neck.

“Maybe you could stay the night here more often?” she suggested. “It might be an extra safety precaution...and I like having you here.”

Inuyasha chuckled against her skin. “Yeah, I can do that. And you can stay with me whenever you want.”

Kagome sighed. “Thank you.”

Inuyasha ran his claws up her side. “You’re not alone anymore, baby. You don’t ever have to be alone again.”

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“But, Kagome,” Inuyasha said after a moment. “What will happen if you do sense him?”

Kagome went silent, uncertain of how to answer.

“I...I don’t know.”

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Among some big reveals, we also learned that Sango was Kagome’s childhood best friend. That’s another thing I’ve had planned since I first started writing this story a couple years ago. I love a good reunion scene, and we’ll be seeing that soon.


	21. The Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 21: The Reunion**

When Inuyasha woke up the next morning, Kagome was still asleep. He could tell it was still early since her alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so he took a few quiet moments to reflect on what he’d learned the night before.

 _Kagome has been framed for murder and arson,_ he mused. _If she gets caught, she’ll be persecuted, unlike Naraku who is still nowhere to be found._

And that led Inuyasha on another train of thought…

'Why would Naraku kill my mother of all people after what he did in Kagome’s town? Is there a connection? Kagome said she never found out why Naraku hated her family so much, but maybe if we think about it a little harder…'

Kagome’s alarm pulled Inuyasha from his thoughts as the woman in his arms began stirring.

She grabbed the phone and turned the alarm off before nuzzling against Inuyasha’s neck.

“Good morning,” she murmured as she placed a few kisses on his skin.

“Good morning,” he replied softly as he held her a bit closer. “So I’ve been thinking…”

Kagome froze. “Did you...did you change your mind about everything?” Kagome went to sit up, but Inuyasha quickly pulled her back against him.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “I’m not leaving you, I promise. That’s not gonna happen.” Kagome immediately relaxed against him and nodded.

“Okay,” she replied, the relief evident in her voice. “What have you been thinking?”

Inuyasha ran his hand up and down her back as he tried to figure out how to put his thoughts into words.

“I think there might be a connection," he began, “between your family and my mom.”

Kagome hummed. “Yeah...there would have to be. I can’t imagine your mother’s murder would be random.” Inuyasha nodded.

“It was ruled a robbery gone wrong,” he explained. “But maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it just came across that way.”

“But what connection could my family have with your mom?” Kagome asked. “We lived in a small community with only people with spiritual power. I don’t know why Naraku hated my family or why he would want to kill us, and you don’t know why Naraku would have killed your mom if it wasn’t a robbery gone wrong.”

Inuyasha sighed. “I think it’s something we should keep in mind even if we can’t figure it out right now.” Kagome nodded her agreement.

“You’re right,” she replied.

“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” Inuyasha asked. “I could see if Miroku can invite Sango over for dinner, too.” Kagome sighed.

“I’ll stay tonight,” Kagome replied. “But...maybe we could see if Sango can come tomorrow? I need to...prepare myself a little more.”

“Okay,” Inuyasha replied. “Whatever makes you more comfortable.”

Kagome pulled back to look into his eyes. “You’re such a good man. Thank you for staying with me.”

Inuyasha reached up to caress her cheek. “Of course, baby. I don’t know what all I can do for you, but I’ll always be by your side.”

Kagome smiled and leaned up to kiss him. When they pulled away, she untangled herself from him and got up from the bed.

“I need to get ready for work,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll pack an overnight bag, too.” Inuyasha nodded.

“You can just leave it at the bakery,” Inuyasha replied. “Then you don’t have to take it to work with you.”

Kagome smiled. “Okay. I’ll be ready in a little while.” She grabbed some clothes from her closet and departed to the bathroom to get ready.

When he heard the bathroom door close, Inuyasha rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

_I won’t lose her. I refuse to._

o.O.o

That night when Kagome came to the bakery after she finished work, Inuyasha had some fresh anpan waiting for her.

Kagome hugged him when she arrived and took one of the pieces he offered her.

“Yum!” she exclaimed.

Inuyasha led her upstairs where Miroku was sitting on the couch watching TV.

“Hi, Miroku,” Kagome greeted.

“Hey, Kagome,” Miroku replied. “You hungry? We ordered pizza earlier if you want some.”

“Maybe later,” she replied with a smile. “But thanks.”

Kagome followed Inuyasha into his bedroom so they could change into their pajamas. Inuyasha closed the door behind him to secure their privacy.

Once Kagome had changed, she jumped into Inuyasha’s bed and curled up under the covers.

“I love your bed,” Kagome said. “It’s so big and comfortable.”

Inuyasha chuckled and joined her under the covers. “Is this all we’re going to do tonight?”

Kagome smiled and rolled over into his arms. “I wouldn’t complain if it were…” Inuyasha laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

“How was your day, honey?” Kagome asked. “Did Shippo spill any flour?”

Inuyasha chuckled. “No, not today.” Kagome hummed.

“I miss Shippo,” she said. “I haven’t been able to see him in a while.”

Inuyasha ran his claws through her hair. “I can ask his mom if he can stay late sometime soon if you want.” Kagome nodded.

“That would be great,” she replied. “Thank you.”

They talked a little while longer until Kagome started stroking his cheek in one of her silent ways of requesting extra affection.

Inuyasha was all too willing to oblige as he rolled them over so he could hover over her.

“I love you,” he murmured before leaning down to kiss her.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him all the way down on top of her.

Inuyasha kept the kiss light and soft, but passionate and lingering.

When he pulled away, he moved his lips to her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, her nose, before he settled his face against her neck. He inhaled deeply, breathing her in as her hands migrated up to his ears.

Kagome’s fingers were light as she rubbed his ears, her touches radiating gentleness.

“So,” Inuyasha said, “do you want me to ask Miroku about Sango while you’re here?” Kagome sighed.

“I don’t want him to know everything yet,” she replied. Inuyasha nodded.

“Okay. We can just say I want you and Sango to meet. You can decide what you want to tell him whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Kagome replied, moving her hands down to run through his hair. Inuyasha kissed her once more before sitting up.

“Do you want some pizza now?” he asked. Kagome smiled.

“I’m guessing you want some,” she teased. “So sure, I’ll have a slice.” Inuyasha chuckled as they headed out to the kitchen.

Miroku was still sitting on the couch with the TV muted as he spoke on the phone.

Inuyasha could hear Sango’s voice coming from the phone, so he and Kagome crept quietly to the kitchen to get their pizza.

“He’s talking to Sango,” Inuyasha said quietly as he pulled the pizza out of the fridge. Kagome winced at her name.

“Maybe...I could ask him about her?” she asked. Inuyasha nodded.

“Sure,” he replied. “We can do whatever you’re ready for.”

Once they’d gotten their pizza on plates and heated them up, they waited for Miroku to finish his phone call before they went to join him on the couch.

“So, Miroku,” Kagome began. “How’s your girlfriend?”

Miroku smiled. “She’s wonderful. Inuyasha and I have been talking about how you two would probably hit it off.”

Kagome paused, and Inuyasha could tell she was trying to figure out what to say next.

“Actually, I already know her.”

Miroku seemed surprised. “Really?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her, though,” Kagome added quickly. “I just found out she lives in the city when Inuyasha told me last night.”

Miroku nodded. “Oh, I see. Small world!”

“Maybe you could invite Sango over tomorrow?” Inuyasha interjected. “We could all have dinner together or something.”

Miroku’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, definitely. She’s off tomorrow night so that’ll be perfect.”

“Can you keep it a secret that I’ll be here, though?” Kagome requested. “I want to...surprise her.”

Miroku smiled. “Sure thing. Wow, I can’t believe you know her!”

Kagome exchanged a look with Inuyasha.

_Tomorrow is gonna be a big day…_

o.O.o

Later that night, Kagome was curled up in Inuyasha’s arms as they lay in his bed. He could feel the tension radiating from her body, and he wondered what was going through her mind.

“You okay, baby?” he asked. Kagome sighed.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I’m so relieved that Sango is alive, but I know it’s gonna be really hard having to explain...everything.”

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head. “Miroku and I can give you guys some space to talk if you need it. He’s good at reading signals, so he’ll understand.”

Kagome hummed. “Okay.” She yawned. “I’ll have you with me, too. That’ll help.” She leaned up to kiss him before laying her head back down against his chest.

“Good night,” she murmured. “Love you.”

Inuyasha closed his eyes and nestled his face in her hair.

“Love you, too.”

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome was antsy the next day.

Everything leading up to when she went to the bakery after getting off work was a blur. Knowing that she was going to see Sango...it felt unreal.

She got to the bakery at her usual eight-fifteen and texted Inuyasha that she was there.

He appeared at the front door with a smile on his face as he opened it.

“Hi, honey,” Kagome greeted as she kissed him quickly. “Um...is she here?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah, they’re in the kitchen. You alright?” Kagome took a deep breath and tried to smile.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Inuyasha took her hand and led her to the doorway of the kitchen, and Kagome’s heart clenched with each step.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw the familiar brown hair and pink eyeshadow.

It was Sango, a little older than she remembered. Her hair was longer, her shape a bit more filled out, but it was her.

It was _Sango._

Miroku saw Kagome first and smiled.

“Oh, hey,” he greeted. “Sango, this is--”

Sango’s eyes widened when she caught sight of Kagome.

“Kagome?” she asked incredulously. “Is that you?”

Kagome nodded, tears filling her eyes. “It’s me, Sango. It’s me.”

A crack sob escaped Sango as she jumped up from where she was sitting to pull Kagome into a tight hug.

“Kagome,” Sango said shakily. “I can’t believe this.”

“I thought you were dead,” Kagome replied. “I thought Naraku killed you.”

Sango pulled back to look into Kagome’s eyes. “No, but he’s the reason we left. Where have you been all this time? What happened with the fire? I saw it on the news when it first happened.”

Kagome took a deep breath. “It’s...a long story.”

She felt Inuyasha set a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll give you two some time. Come up whenever you want, okay?” Kagome nodded and smiled gratefully at Inuyasha.

The hanyo led a very confused Miroku upstairs to their apartment, leaving Kagome and Sango alone in the kitchen.

They sat down next to each other at the table, and Sango immediately took Kagome’s hand and held it tightly.

“Kagome, what happened?” she asked. “With your family...with Naraku...what happened to you?”

Kagome launched into the tale of the night Naraku had killed her family, of how Kagome had been on the run all this time, of how she was a prime suspect in a crime she didn’t commit.

“Oh, Kagome,” Sango said. “I can’t believe you’ve had to deal with that.”

“What about you?” Kagome asked. “Where did you go? What happened to you guys?”

A look of pain flashed on Sango’s face. “Naraku killed my dad. Then he said he’d kill me, mom, and Kohaku if we didn’t leave the town. We moved several hours away but my mom wouldn’t let me write to you. Then a year later I heard about the fire and...well, I’ve been looking for you. It’s part of the reason why I became a nurse. I thought maybe I could find you or some sort of record of you through the grapevine.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Oh, Sango. I’m so sorry. Why did Naraku kill him?”

Sango shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know that if we didn’t go, he would have killed us. But I don’t want to think about that anymore. I’ve missed you so much, Kagome. I can’t believe I finally found you.”

Kagome smiled brightly. “I’m so happy. I always hoped I would see you again, but sometimes it was hard to keep that hope up.” She took a deep breath. “I’m on the run, though, Sango. Inuyasha knows everything, and now so do you. If the police find out you guys didn’t turn me in…”

“I don’t care,” Sango interjected. “I finally found you after six years. I don’t care about the risks. I want to help you in any way I can.”

Kagome reached out to take her hand. “Inuyasha had said the same thing. I think I’m still safe right now, though. Everything is alright for the time being.”

They talked a long while about Sango’s life, starting with the new life she’d had to establish after moving, as well as how Sango had become a nurse. Sango told her about meeting Miroku and how they’d gotten together shortly after.

“So tell me about Inuyasha,” Sango requested. “How did you two get together?”

Kagome laughed. “I was stealing anpan from him.” Sango burst out laughing.

“Of course it was anpan!” she exclaimed. “You were always begging your mom to make it.” Sango smiled brightly. “Inuyasha is a nice guy. I’m glad that through all of this, you were able to find him.”

Kagome smiled back. “Me, too. He’s really special. Miroku is great, too. He’s the one that actually warmed up to me first. It took Inuyasha a little more time to get there.”

“Speaking of Inuyasha and Miroku,” Sango began, “they’re probably wondering if we’re alright. Do you want to head upstairs?” Kagome nodded and stood up before pulling Sango into a tight hug.

They were silent during their embrace as they focused on their shared relief; they didn’t speak, but they didn’t need to.

When they finally went upstairs, Inuyasha and Miroku were sitting on the couch waiting for them, and Inuyasha immediately looked at Kagome to silently see if she was alright.

Kagome smiled at him and nodded, letting him know that everything was good.

And it was.

Everything was so good.

The four of them spent the evening together, talking and laughing, and Kagome allowed herself to feel completely at peace. She could almost pretend that everything was normal, that she was just a girl without any dangers in her past.

It was long into the night when Sango announced she needed to get home.

Kagome swapped numbers with her before Sango and Miroku departed from the apartment, and when they were gone, Kagome threw herself into Inuyasha’s arms.

“I’m so happy,” she said as Inuyasha picked her up against him. Inuyasha chuckled against her and hugged her tightly.

“I can tell,” he replied. “I’m glad you are.”

Inuyasha walked them over to the couch and situated her in his lap so she could tell him about her conversation with Sango. He ran his hand up and down her back as she spoke, silently encouraging her to keep going.

Kagome paused in the middle of her explanation. “I didn’t tell Sango about your mom. I wasn’t sure…”

Inuyasha nodded. “I understand. You can tell her, though.” Kagome sighed.

“Naraku killed her dad,” she murmured. “And he’s why her family left. It’s something the three of us have in common.” Inuyasha pulled back to look at her with wide eyes.

“What?” he asked. “Naraku...what?”

“He killed Sango’s father,” Kagome repeated. “She doesn’t know why, though.” She huffed. “None of this makes sense at all.”

Inuyasha took a deep breath and pulled Kagome against him again.

“We’ll figure it out, Kagome,” he murmured. “It’s one more piece of the puzzle, right? Maybe that can help us figure out why he was after your family and my mom.”

Kagome hummed. “Yeah...but let’s save that for another day. I can’t think about all this death anymore.”

Kagome sat back to look down at him, reaching her hands up to cup his cheeks.

“If it hadn’t been for you,” she began, “I wouldn’t have found Sango. Inuyasha, I’m so lucky to have you. I don’t know where I would be…I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you…”

Inuyasha smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

“You have me, baby,” he murmured. “You’ll always have me.”

Inuyasha’s warm hands trailed up her body as he clutched her against him protectively.

He pulled her down to kiss him, and once the familiar euphoria from him started to wash over Kagome, she made a grave realization.

She had a lot to lose.

If everything went downhill, if Naraku found her, there was more at stake than there ever had been for her.

The thought chilled her to her bones, so she tried to push it from her mind.

She sank into Inuyasha’s kiss, in the way his hands lovingly ran over her body, and let herself revel in the absolute joy she’d achieved that night.

She would allow herself to forget about the monsters in her past, at least for one night, and focus on the hope she’d found.

And from where she was, wrapped in Inuyasha’s arms, it was easy.

For now.

To be continued...


	22. The Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is a trigger warning for this chapter for nightmares related to trauma. If that bothers you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on how to avoid it. Because of that and future ones, I’m going to bump the rating of this story up to an M. Since we’ve also had the somewhat graphic event of the fire as well as now some trigger warnings, I think that’s the best choice.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 22: The Nightmare**

Inuyasha jolted awake when the woman in his arms flew up in the bed and gasped so hard it sounded physically painful.

Eyes wide, the hanyo immediately sat up and set a hand on her shoulder.

“Kagome, what’s wrong?” he asked urgently.

Kagome looked at him with fear in her eyes. She ran her hand down her face and took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm herself down.

“Just a bad dream,” she said, nearly inaudibly. Inuyasha caught the scent of tears and wasted no time in pulling Kagome into his arms to hug her tightly.

“Hey, it’s alright now,” he soothed. “You’re awake. It’s over.”

Kagome nodded against his chest, but he could feel her grip his shirt tightly, as if trying to ground herself.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome took in another ragged breath and shook her head.

“No,” she replied quietly. “I just...I’m gonna use the bathroom.” She wiped several beads of sweat from her forehead before getting out of the bed and hurrying to the bathroom.

It had been a rather pleasant week since Kagome and Sango reunited, so they’d been spending as much time together as possible. The joy in Kagome was obvious as she filled Inuyasha in on everything she’d missed over the years.

Since Sango and Kagome mostly spent time together at places in the city, Kagome had taken to just spending the night with Inuyasha.

Not that he was complaining.

But this was the first time she’d woken up in such a panic.

Concerned, Inuyasha got out of bed and went to knock on the bathroom door.

“Kagome?” he called quietly. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she replied, her voice tight. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Inuyasha frowned. _She definitely doesn’t_ sound _alright._

He went to the kitchen to make some tea, hoping that would help calm Kagome down from whatever had spooked her so badly in her nightmare.

Much longer than a minute later, Kagome emerged from the bathroom. She padded into the kitchen, no doubt having sensed Inuyasha’s presence there rather than in his bedroom.

Her eyes were red and her face was a bit puffy, so he could tell she’d been crying.

“Hey,” he said as he poured the tea. “I made some tea if you want some.” Kagome nodded and sat down at the table.

She thanked Inuyasha when he handed her a cup before sitting in the chair next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a moment of silence as she took small sips of her drink.

Kagome was nearly finished with her tea when she finally spoke again.

“When I first ran away,” she began, “I used to have nightmares. Awful nightmares. I would sometimes get kicked out of hostels because my screaming would be so loud every night.” She shivered. “It was usually the same thing...I would relive the night of the fire. I would see Mom, Dad, and Sota burning, and then Naraku’s red eyes looking me up and down before he threw a match on me.”

Inuyasha moved his hand to rub her back, silently encouraging her to continue at her own pace.

“But sometimes it would be nightmares about training sessions,” she whispered. “When I would do something wrong and Naraku would pull out his matches and burn me…” She shook her head. “This is the first time I’ve had one in two years. I forgot how bad they are…”

“Can I do anything to help?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome looked up at him, the fear still present but slowly starting to recede.

“You already did help,” she replied. “Just having you here with me...it’s more than I’ve ever had.” She gave him a small smile, a shadow of her usual brightness, but Inuyasha returned it fervently.

“Do you wanna turn on a movie?” he asked. “We don’t have to go back to bed yet if you don’t want to.”

Kagome nodded and took the last few sips of her tea before following Inuyasha to the living room.

The hanyo grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around them, securing Kagome against his chest as they lay down. Inuyasha grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, scrolling through Netflix to find something Kagome wanted to watch.

Ten minutes into the movie she picked, she drifted off to sleep, her hands still clutching the arms Inuyasha had wrapped around her.

He took a deep breath and turned the TV off before adjusting the blanket around Kagome.

It took awhile for him to fall asleep, so caught up was he in his thoughts of Kagome.

 _What could have triggered this?_ he wondered. _Nothing like this has happened before...at least not when I’ve been with her. She would have told me if it happened when I wasn’t around, though..._

o.O.o

A hand gently shaking Inuyasha’s shoulder roused him from his slumber. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was still on the couch with Kagome as a grinning Miroku stood over him.

“Well, good morning, sunshine,” he teased. “You sleep well?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and glanced at Kagome, who was still sound asleep.

“She had a rough night,” he admitted quietly. Miroku’s amusement faded into concern.

“Is she okay?” he whispered. Inuyasha hesitated.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “She had a nightmare...a bad one.” Miroku looked at Kagome sympathetically.

“That’s rough,” he said. “Not to rush you or anything, but it’s almost seven. Does Kagome have to work?” Inuyasha nodded.

“Yeah, we’ll get up soon,” he replied. “You can have first dibs on the shower.”

Miroku smiled. “Thanks.” He departed to the bathroom, leaving Inuyasha to set his attention on Kagome.

“Kagome?” Inuyasha said gently as he lightly tapped her cheek with his finger. “Wake up, baby.” Kagome stirred slowly before opening her eyes.

“Good morning,” she greeted. Inuyasha took in her messy hair, the sleepy look in her half-lidded eyes, and felt a little extra surge of affection hit him.

“Good morning,” he echoed. “Are you alright?”

Kagome nodded. “Yeah, I think I’m okay.” Her smile turned sheepish. “I’m sorry about last night.” Inuyasah shook his head.

“You don’t need to apologize for that,” he replied. “Ever. I mean it, okay?” He smiled at her and brushed a lock of hair away from her head before placing a kiss on her cheek.

“We need to get up, though,” he said. “It’s almost seven.” Kagome nodded and sat up, stretching her arms in front of her before grabbing the blanket to fold and set over the back of the couch.

“Miroku is in the shower,” Inuyasha said. “You can use it when he gets out.” Kagome nodded.

“Thanks,” she replied. After a moment, a devious glint shone in her eyes.

“So that means we have a little time?” she asked as she resumed her position next to Inuyasha on the couch. “I wonder what we should do…”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Do you have something in mind?”

Kagome smiled. “Kiss me, honey.”

So he did.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome checked her phone as she waited outside the small diner.

Sango was supposed to meet up with her for a late dinner after Kagome finished work at eight, but it was about ten minutes past when they’d agreed to meet, so Kagome was a little worried.

 _Sango is a nurse_ , Kagome reminded herself. _She probably got caught-up with a patient. Nothing to be worried about._

But Kagome was exhausted and didn’t want to be out too late. The thought of going back to the bakery to curl up in Inuyasha’s bed with him and go right to sleep was all too alluring.

The nightmare she’d had the previous night had caught her completely off-guard, and the lingering effects of it had stuck with her all day. She’d felt guilty for worrying Inuyasha like she had; she could only be grateful for how attentive he was to her.

_My sweetest man...I don’t know what I would do without him._

“Hey, Kagome!”

Kagome turned to see Sango walking toward her with a bright smile on her face.

“Hey, Sango,” Kagome greeted as gave her a hug. “How are you? Is everything okay?” Sango rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“I got caught up with some extra paperwork at the hospital,” she explained. “It’s my first year there, so there’s a lot of stuff I’m still trying to get completely used to. I’m starving, though! Are you ready to eat?”

Kagome nodded. “Definitely!”

Over dinner, Kagome figured she should ask the question that had been brewing in her mind since she’d started spending so much time with Sango.

“So,” Kagome began, “I don’t want to ruin any fun, but...what all have you told Miroku about everything?”

Sango’s smile faded. “I haven’t told him much, honestly. He knows my dad died, but I didn’t tell him how. I told him I had a best friend but that we lost touch when we moved. He doesn’t know about the fire or anything about the shrine or how we grew up.”

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. _The less Miroku knows, the better._

“Do you want me to tell him?” Sango asked. “It’s not completely my story to tell, which is why I never told him. But if you want me to…”

Kagome shook her head. “No, I’d rather keep it quiet if you don’t mind. I wasn’t going to tell Inuyasha, but...he figured it out.” Kagome explained the night during which Inuyasha found the article, and Sango winced at the accident.

“That’s a hard way to find out,” she commented sympathetically. “But I’m glad he’s so supportive.”

Kagome smiled. “He is.”

Their moods picked up as their evening continued, and Kagome was glad the conversation took an upward shift. Now that she had Sango back in her life, she didn’t want to focus on the negative.

Later on when they’d finished eating and paid for their meal, they departed from the restaurant. After hugging Sango goodbye, Kagome headed in the direction of the bakery, eager to put on her pajamas and see a certain hanyo.

o.O.o

When she arrived at the bakery, she texted Inuyasha to let him know she was there.

His smile was bright when he appeared at the front door to let her in, and he scooped her into a tight hug as soon as he let her inside.

“Hi,” he greeted, his lips gentle against her neck.

Kagome squeezed him back. “Hi, honey. Miss me today?”

Inuyasha chuckled against her. “Always.”

o.O.o

That night as Kagome lay in bed with Inuyasha, she found herself unable to fall asleep despite how exhausted she felt. She knew Inuyasha could tell, for he rolled onto his side to face her before his hands moved to begin tracing the planes of her stomach over the smooth fabric of her shirt.

“You okay?” he murmured. Kagome nodded and turned her head to look at him.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Just tired but...not tired, if that makes sense.”

Inuyasha nodded. “I understand. We can always have late-night tea again if you need it.”

Kagome smiled. “Thanks. Hopefully I won’t need it tonight.”

Inuyasha placed a few kisses on her cheek and pulled her closer against him.

She was still awake when his breathing evened out and his hand stilled on her stomach. She tried to let his soft exhalations calm her down, but it wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped it would be.

Being at work, and then with Sango, and then with Inuyasha at the bakery had been good distractions about the thoughts racing through her mind, but now that she was the only one awake...in the dark...in the silence…

She was feeling haunted all over again.

 _Why am I all of a sudden feeling like this again?_ she wondered. _I’m so happy...Sango just came back into my life and I get to have her friendship again. Why am I so on-edge?_

She stared up at Inuyasha’s ceiling late into the night, too afraid to go to sleep and too wound-up to try anyway.

Several hours later, she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

She fell into the same nightmare as the previous night, and the fear she thought she’d overcome was slowly creeping back in, invading the peace she’d finally managed to find in the city.

It was a long night.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve read my story called Untitled and/or you follow me on tumblr, I’m sure you’re aware by now that I am a sexual assault/abuse survivor. My trauma comes from a horrible relationship, so of course during my healing process, I went through flashbacks and nightmares on nights when my insomnia didn’t keep me awake.
> 
> In this story, we’re seeing a traumatic response from Kagome. I'm somewhat modeling it after the things I went through, so I’m not just blindly writing about trauma. Please don’t say that the manner in which I’m writing about it is bad or incorrect because I’ve lived through it. I know what I’m talking about.
> 
> Kagome’s trauma has been triggered through someone connected to a very difficult time in her life being reintroduced. That can trigger old trauma and flashbacks to come back, so that’s what we’re seeing with her here.
> 
> That being said, I’ll put trigger warnings before each chapter in which that will be discussed.


	23. The Aura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends. I've learned some new things about this website (thanks to Ruddcatha) so we finally get to have bold and italicized words. I’ve gone back through all of the other chapters and adjusted them, so everything is much neater and easier to read.
> 
> There's another trigger warning on this chapter for nightmares caused by trauma.

**Chapter 23: The Aura**

Kagome’s nightmares only got worse. Inuyasha had taken to just staying up until long after she’d finally fallen asleep, only to be jolted back into consciousness by her waking up from another nightmare.

It had been occurring for five nights in a row, and Inuyasha was growing more concerned each night.

On the sixth night they found themselves in Inuyasha’s kitchen drinking tea in the middle of the night, Kagome sighed in defeat.

“I’m so sorry I’m keeping you up every night,” she apologized. “I won’t stay here anymore. I can take the bus or something to my apartment if it gets too late.”   
Inuyasha frowned and gently cupped her cheek in his hand to turn her face toward him.

“Hey,” he said, his tone kind but firm. “There’s no way I’m going to let you be away from me when this keeps happening. It’s getting worse so of course I’m not going to leave you alone right now.”

Kagome looked away from him and stared into her cup of tea.

“It might not ever get better,” she whispered. “I...I was fine. I was okay. But now all of a sudden, it’s like all the stuff I was afraid of is back full-force. I don’t know why this is happening.” Inuyasha could tell she was near tears, so he took her cup from her and set it down on the table before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap.

“I already told you, Kagome,” he said quietly. “I’m in this with you all the way.” Kagome nodded against him, but he could still feel her start to deflate.

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head before tugging her up. 

“Come on,” he said as he pulled her to his room, their cups of tea abandoned. “My ears are itching for you to rub them.” He knew that would pick up her mood.   
Kagome laughed quietly and squeezed his hand. “My favorite thing to do.”

They got settled under the covers again, with Kagome on her back and Inuyasha laying partially on top of her so she had easy access to his ears, before Kagome started rubbing them.

“Have you told Sango about the nightmares?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome shook her head.

“No,” she admitted. “I don’t like talking about that stuff with her. I like hearing about the new stuff she’s doing.” 

Inuyasha nodded against her neck. “I understand.”

Kagome sighed. “I know I say it a lot, but thank you for everything, Inuyasha. I don't know how you put up with me.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “I love you, so maybe that's why.”

Kagome hummed in amusement before letting go of his ears to wrap her arms around his neck. She hugged him close, clutching him against her as Inuyasha ran his hand up and down her side. 

After a few silent moments, Inuyasha could tell Kagome was still having trouble going back to sleep. 

The need to comfort her was like a physical ache, so he tried to think of anything he could possibly do to help her. 

Then he got an idea. 

He continued his gentle motions against Kagome's body as he began to softly sing. 

_ “Close your eyes, _

_ If only to dream of me through darkened skies.  _

_ I'll hold you close, _

_ Because I love you the most.  _

_ Forget your fears, _

_ If only for the night.  _

_ Dream of me, _

_ And I will be your light.” _

Kagome hummed softly when he stopped singing. 

“That was beautiful,” she said nearly inaudibly, her voice sounding drowsy. 

“It's a lullaby my mom taught me,” he murmured. “I thought it might help.”

Kagome nodded. “It did. Thank you.”

She was asleep only a few seconds later. 

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. 

_ What else can I do? _

o.O.o

Shortly after Kagome left the bakery the next morning, Inuyasha’s phone rang with a call from her. 

“Hey, baby,” Inuyasha answered. “Is everything okay?”   
He heard Kagome take in a shuddering breath. “Hey, um...I’m pretty sure I felt Naraku’s aura when I was walking to work.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened.

“What?” he asked. “Are you sure?” 

“It was just for a second,” she explained, “but I’m almost positive it was him.”   
Inuyasha thought back to when she thought she’d sensed his aura a few weeks earlier.

“Is it like when you thought you felt it a couple weeks ago?” he asked. Kagome released a shaky breath.

“No,” she replied. “I  _ knew _ I was paranoid then. This felt more...vivid.”

Inuyasha frowned. “Can you leave work? You can come back here and we’ll figure this out.” 

“I can’t leave right now,” Kagome said. “I’ll see if I can finish my shift early, though. I’ll call you when I can.”

“Okay,” Inuyasha replied. “I’ll talk to you soon. I love you.”   
“Love you, too,” Kagome said before they ended the call.

Inuyasha shook his head.  _ This is a nightmare. _

o.O.o

A little while later, Inuyasha was pulling a tray of buns out of the oven when something made him pause.

Frowning, he set the tray down and walked out into the shop where Miroku was ringing up a customer.

Inuyasha looked around the store to see three people milling around. Nothing seemed amiss, but there was an odd feeling twitching around him.

“You alright?” Miroku asked when he finished ringing up the customer. Inuyasha frowned.

“Something is weird around here,” he replied furtively. “It feels like something is... _ looming.” _

“Do you think it’s something bad?” Miroku asked. “Should we do something about it?”   
Inuyasha paused. “I don’t know. Maybe not right now...? It feels like some sort of strange youkai aura, but--”

Then it was gone.

“Oh,” Inuyasha said. “It just disappeared. I don’t know what it was, but it was weird.”

Miroku’s brow knit in concern. “So...that’s it?” Inuyasha shrugged.

“I guess. I’ll be mindful if I feel it again, but...I guess it’s gone.”

The co-owners went back to work, but Inuyasha was unsettled about the incident for the rest of the day.

_ Could that have been Naraku’s aura? Kagome sensed it earlier...was that him? _

o.O.o

Kagome was able to leave work early and came back to the bakery a little after lunchtime. Inuyasha had baked some fresh anpan for her, so he led her into the kitchen and gave her a piece as she sat down in a chair at the table.

“I’ll go make some tea,” Inuyasha said as he went to head upstairs.

“No, wait,” Kagome said quickly. “I’m sorry, but...can you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

Inuyasha nodded and walked over to sit in the chair next to her.

“Hey,” he soothed. “It’s gonna be okay. What do you want to do about it?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know. I mean, I had my aura hidden. He might have just been walking by. That might be wishful thinking, but…”   
Inuyasha nodded. “He would have approached you if he saw you, right? Maybe he didn’t know you were there.”

Kagome shrugged. “Maybe. This is just a mess.”   
Inuyasha sighed. “Not that you need to hear any other weird crap, but something else happened today and I wanted to give you a heads-up about it.”   
Kagome frowned. “What was it?”

“There was a weird youkai aura near the bakery today,” he explained. “It was only for a few moments, but it was really strange. With your powers, I figured you’d be able to sense it if it ever appears again while you’re here, so I wanted to warn you just in case.”

Kagome nodded. “Thanks.” Inuyasha hesitated, but knew he should ask.

“Do you think it could be Naraku?” he asked.

Kagome shook her head. “Naraku is a human with spiritual powers. He wouldn’t have a youkai aura. The aura I felt today is the same as I remember from when I was younger.” Inuyasha nodded.

_ Maybe a weird youkai was walking past the bakery or something. I’m sure I’m just making a big deal out of nothing. We have much bigger things to worry about anyway. _

o.O.o

The only plan they came up with that evening was that Inuyasha would start walking Kagome to work and meeting her there when she finished her shift. 

Losing Kagome wasn’t an option, and Inuyasha  _ knew _ that Naraku finding her could inevitably lead to that.

They went to her apartment after the bakery closed so she could do laundry and pack a bag of clean clothes. They decided to spend the upcoming night in her apartment; after that, she would stay with Inuyasha until they could figure out a solid plan for whatever was happening with Naraku.

When they lay down in Kagome’s bed that night, Kagome clung to Inuyasha tighter than usual, and the hanyo could feel the anxious beat of her heart.

He ran his claws up and down her back, trying to lend her as much comfort as possible.

“I’ll protect you, baby,” he murmured. “You’ll be okay.”

Kagome didn’t answer him; she just turned her head and buried it in his shirt.

Inuyasha kept up his steady motions on her back and started to sing the lullaby.

O.o.O.o.O

_ “You foolish girl! I’ve had just about enough of your insolence!” _

_ Kagome’s eyes widened in fear as her sensei came toward her with his hand raised, prepared to strike. _

_ He’d never hit her before, but Kagome feared that was exactly what was coming. _

_ She closed her eyes and braced herself for the coming slap, but it never came. _

_ Daring to open her eyes, she peeked up at Naraku and saw him staring down at her. _

_ “Your whole family is the same,” he growled lowly. “You’re all the same kind of worthless.” _

_ His red eyes flashed with an anger Kagome had never seen in him, and a sudden burst of power knocked her back onto the ground. _

_ Her eyes widened as she looked up at Naraku, and she wondered what sort of aura was radiating from him. She’d never felt it before, and Naraku had never unleashed his power on her. _

_ Come to think of it...Naraku had never unleashed his power  _ at all  _ during their training sessions. _

_ As soon as the strange shift in his aura came, it disappeared, but it left Kagome stricken and more than a little shaken. _

_ “You’ll do well to listen,” he scolded sharply. “Or else. Now do it again.” _

Kagome shot up in the bed, eyes wide, chest heaving, as the long-forgotten memory resurfaced in her mind.

She’d never been around a youkai in her small community growing up, but since moving around so much after going on the run, she’d been around many.

And now, after remembering the odd, fleeting power coming from Naraku that single time during one of their training sessions so many years ago, Kagome was left comparing it to the many auras she’d felt over the years.

_ Could it be true? Could Naraku be a…? _

“Kagome?” Inuyasha said, waking up at Kagome’s jolt. “Did you have another nightmare?”

Eyes wide, Kagome looked down at him.

“Inuyasha, I think...I think Naraku is a youkai.”

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes. I love seeing plot points I’ve had from the start finally come into fruition. This is one of the reveals that has been a long time coming.  
> Also, I’m a sucker for Singing!Inuyasha.


	24. The Youkai

**Chapter 24: The Youkai**

“You think Naraku is  _ what?” _ Inuyasha asked. “Wasn’t he training you for your spiritual powers? How could he be a youkai if that was his profession?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe he was hiding it for some reason? I remembered a time when he was really furious with me during a training session, and a little blip of a new power came from him. Now I recognize it as a youkai-tinged aura.” She shivered. “It only lasted a second, but...it was powerful and  _ looming.” _

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. 

_ That’s how the aura felt in the bakery...looming. _

“Kagome,” he began slowly, “I think that really  _ was _ Naraku’s aura at the bakery. If what you’re saying about him being a youkai is right, and he has a strange, looming aura, I’d be willing to bet that he was near the bakery.”   


Kagome’s entire body froze. “Inuyasha...if Naraku was using the aura I remember…”   


Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “Then that means he knew you were there to feel it and recognize it.”

Kagome took a deep breath. “Then that means he’s definitely in the city...and he knows I am, too.”

“He’ll probably show himself again,” Inuyasha commented. “And if he does, I’ll introduce him to my claws. He’s gonna pay for what he’s done to us, to  _ all _ of us.”   


Kagome shook her head. “You can’t do anything. I’m a fugitive, too, remember? If you turn him in, I’ll go down with him. You can’t lie about me, Inuyasha, so either way, we’ll  _ all _ go down. You, me, Sango...that’ll be it. You guys haven’t turned me in. It’ll be over.”

Inuyasha growled and sat up. “Well, I’m not just gonna let the guy that killed my  _ mom  _ and my girlfriend’s _ entire _ family, walk around so easily. Not to mention what he did to Sango’s family, too!”

“Inuyasha,  _ stop,” _ Kagome snapped, more sharply than he’d ever heard her. “Don’t you think I want justice, too? I’ve been on the run because of him for five years.  _ Five _ .  _ Years. _ But I can’t just bolt into things blindly! I have to make a plan. I have to figure out how to keep myself out of prison because if I get caught, there’s no hope for me! Or you! Or Sango!”

Kagome shook her head. “This is what I’ve always been afraid of. Planting roots. Getting attached. Letting people get to know me. I should’ve  _ known _ this would happen. I’m such an  _ idiot.” _

Inuyasha’s eyes widened when he heard the regret in Kagome’s voice.

She  _ regretted _ everything.

“Kagome,” he said, calming his voice. “You’re not an idiot for trying to just live your life, okay?” He took a deep breath. “But do you...do you regret all of this? Do you regret...me?”

Kagome looked at him, her eyes sad.

“Never,” she murmured. “But...I regret telling you everything. I wish I’d never left that article lying around. So much for any semblance of normal.”   


“Hey,” Inuyasha scolded lightly. “What’s done is done. Don’t regret anything, okay? Because I don’t.”   


Kagome’s eyes filled with tears; Inuyasha reached up to brush away the few that escaped.

“We can make a plan tomorrow,” he said. “After that, it’s the weekend, so we can just decompress for a while.” 

Kagome nodded. “Thank you.”

Inuyasha pulled her into his arms and lay down, pulling the blanket over them and keeping Kagome pressed tightly against his chest.

As they lay there in silence, neither one anywhere near able to fall asleep, Inuyasha felt a strong sense of melancholy fall over them, and he wondered how they would be able to deal with everything they’d suddenly been faced with.

He started to sing the lullaby, trying to block out every fear they had.

He could think about everything else tomorrow.

o.O.o

The next day, Inuyasha walked Kagome to work before going to the bakery.   


They didn’t talk much as they walked; they kept their senses alert for any signs of Naraku.

They at least had the element of surprise on their side; if it were really Naraku, there’s no way he would know Inuyasha knew who he was.

Or would he…?

_ He obviously knows where Kagome is. We know that now. But now long has he known? What else does he know about her? _

Inuyasha was troubled about the whole thing; he felt like there was so much unknown, and there was a lot on the line, a lot he could lose.

This could turn out very, very badly.

Before they left Kagome’s apartment, they agreed that she should keep her aura hidden at all times. She never suppressed it at her apartment or when she was at the bakery with Inuyasha, but now they figured the precaution was necessary.

Inuyasha would miss having her scent right beneath his nose when he slept, but he wanted to do everything he could to make sure she was safe.

They made a quick stop at the bakery so she could drop off her bag and grab a quick breakfast pastry before finishing their trekk to the store.

When they reached the front door, Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms and hugged her tightly. 

She smiled up at the hanyo before giving him a quick kiss.

“I’ll see you later, honey,” she said. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Inuyasha replied before letting her go to enter the store.

Once she was safely inside, Inuyasha took a deep breath and headed back to the bakery.

o.O.o

Once Kagome’s usual breaktime came around, Inuyasha grabbed his phone and sent her a text.

**Hey, baby. Everything okay so far?**

A moment later, she responded.

**Yes, everything is fine :) I’m finished at five today. I think I’m gonna cut back on my hours.**

Inuyasha was relieved. With Naraku nearby, he didn’t want Kagome away from the bakery any longer than she needed to be.

**That’s a good idea. I’ll meet you right before five. Love you.**

**Love you, too.**

Inuyasha sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Inuyasha, can you--”

The hanyo jumped at the voice of his best friend. 

Miroku looked at him like he was crazy. “Whoa, are you alright?”   


Inuyasha nodded and went to wash his hands. “Yeah, sorry. You just...startled me.”

Miroku frowned, obviously picking up on Inuyasha’s strange mood.

For once, Miroku didn’t pester; instead, he changed the subject.

“Is it alright if I invite Sango over for dinner tonight?” he asked. “I figure since Kagome has been staying here so often, maybe we could all do something together.”

Inuyasha paused before drying his hands. “Does it...bother you that Kagome has been here?”

Miroku immediately shook his head. “No, of course not. Kagome is great. I just...well, I kinda miss my girlfriend.”   


Inuyasha chuckled. “Aw, so sad. Kagome said she’s really enjoyed getting to catch up with her.”

Miroku smiled. “Sango said the same thing. I’m happy for them. So...is six-thirty alright?”   


Inuyasha nodded. “Sure. Kagome gets off work at five, so I’m gonna run down and meet her at the store then come right back.”   


There was that little look of concern on Miroku’s face again.

“You’re gonna meet her at work?” he asked. “Inuyasha...I don’t want to pry, but is everything okay?” 

Inuyasha just nodded, knowing that Kagome didn’t want Miroku to get involved with the situation.

“Yeah,” he replied. “She got spooked the other day because she thought someone was following her, so I’m walking her to and from work to help her feel a little safer.”

_ I mean...that’s pretty much the truth, so... _

“Oh, that’s awful,” Miroku replied. “Good thing she’s got her big, strong puppy to take care of her.”   


Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Shut up. I’ll cook tonight, yeah?”

Miroku beamed. “I was hoping you’d offer.” Inuyasha chuckled, knowing full well Miroku had most  _ definitely _ anticipated a meal made by Inuyasha.

Inuyasha hoped Kagome’s mood would increase with the quiet evening in with Sango and Miroku.

His first thought was to make fettuccine alfredo for dinner. He had fond memories of the pasta from that date with Kagome so long ago, so he thought it might be a nice little inside surprise for her.

Checking the clock, Inuyasha saw Kagome still had a couple minutes left on her break so he sent her one more quick text.

**Just wanted to let you know that Sango is coming over for dinner tonight.**

His phone dinged a moment later.

**I hope you’re cooking :)**

Inuyasha chuckled.

**I’m making fettuccine alfredo…**

He could practically  _ see _ Kagome’s smile.

**Now that brings back some memories, honey!**

Inuyasha responded with a heart emoji before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

_ Hopefully it helps. _

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome bit her lip as she got ready to clock back in to resume her shift.

_ I need to tell Sango about Naraku...she might be in danger, too. If Naraku found me, he might have found her… _

Her thoughts were muddled with worry for the rest of her time at work. 

When she finished at five, she walked to the front door of the store to see Inuyasha waiting for her right outside.

She couldn’t help the bright smile that came to her face upon seeing him.

In all the darkness, Inuyasha was her light.

o.O.o

Kagome helped Inuyasha make the dinner once they got back to the bakery, and by the time they were done, they had a half-hour left before Sango was supposed to arrive.

They went upstairs to Inuyasha’s room and curled up in his bed for the few extra minutes they had. Kagome would have tried to take a quick nap were it not for her jumbled thoughts.

“I need to tell Sango about Naraku,” Kagome said, her voice muffled against the fabric of Inuyasha’s shirt. She lifted her head up from his chest to look into his golden eyes. “If Naraku found me, he might be able to find her, too.”   


Inuyasha frowned. “Yeah...you’re right.”

Kagome groaned and lay her head back down on Inuyasha’s chest as he started rubbing his hand up and down her back.

_ I wonder if I should leave… _

The thought startled her and filled her with an instant sadness, but if Naraku was in the city, and he knew where Kagome was, and he found Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango, Kagome would never be able to forgive herself.

_ I wouldn’t cut ties...I would still keep in touch with them. Then they at least wouldn’t know where I was so they wouldn’t be harboring a fugitive. _

“Hey,” Inuyasha murmured. “Your thoughts are racing so hard you’ve got smoke coming from your head.” Kagome laughed lightly.

“Just thinking,” she replied. She sighed and sat up. “I’m gonna use the bathroom before Sango gets here.” Inuyasha nodded and Kagome could feel his eyes on her as she left the room.

When she finished doing her business, she looked in the mirror as she washed her hands.

The subtle spots on her face stared back at her, serving as a reminder of the past she was running from.

The past she’d dragged Inuyasha into.

Kagome took a deep breath and looked away from her reflection, focusing on rinsing the soap from her hands.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she went to find Inuyasha in the kitchen, tossing together a quick salad to go with their pasta.

Much like Kagome had done the night they’d decorated Shippo’s cake, she smiled and walked up behind Inuyasha, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his back.

“I hope you like Caesar salad,” he said, pausing to quickly squeeze one of the hands she had on his stomach.

“Sounds good,” Kagome replied. “I can’t wait to have an encore of our pasta.” Inuyasha chuckled and set the utensils down before turning around to hug Kagome against his chest.

“Me, too,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

They set the table next, grabbing silverware and plates as well as bowls for their salad, when they heard voices coming from the stairs.

“Hey, guys!” Sango greeted as she slipped off her coat.

“Hi, Sango,” Kagome replied as she walked over to hug her. The happiness she felt from seeing her was slightly overshadowed by the looming confession, so she tried to just focus on the fun they would have that night.

“Something smells great,” Sango said. “Did you guys cook?”   


Kagome smiled brightly. “Inuyasha and I are pros at making fettuccine alfredo. It’s to die for.” Sango laughed.

“I can’t wait to try it!”

Dinner went well, and Kagome was able to focus on the time they spent together rather than the darker caverns of her mind. 

When they all finished dinner and had talked a while, Kagome gave Inuyasha a meaningful glance, letting him know that she wanted to go ahead and talk to Sango.

Inuyasha nodded subtly and turned to Miroku.

“Hey, Miroku,” he began, “I think I have some extra pastries downstairs. Do you wanna go grab some and we’ll have those as a late dessert?” Miroku nodded and followed Inuyasha downstairs to the bakery kitchen.

When they were gone, Kagome turned to Sango.

“Sango, I have to tell you something,” she said. Sango frowned.

“What happened?” she replied. Kagome sighed.

“Naraku is in the city,” she admitted. Sango’s eyes widened.

“He’s...what? How do you know?”   


Kagome shook her head. “I felt his aura on my way to work yesterday. He knows where I am. I don’t know if he knows where you are, so...I wanted to warn you about it.”

Sango took a trembling breath. “So...he’s in the city. Kagome, I’m more worried about you. What will he do to you?”   


Kagome winced. “I don’t know. He didn’t make any actual contact with me. He didn’t say anything, either. But there’s something else. He’s a youkai.”

Sango gasped. “What? How...he was your sensei. How is he a youkai?”

Kagome explained everything that had transpired the previous day: feeling his aura, the aura Inuyasha felt, and the memory that had resurfaced in her nightmare.   


“So nothing really makes sense,” Kagome continued. “But I just wanted to warn you because, well, everything is unknown right now.”

Sango nodded. “Thanks for the heads-up.” 

Inuyasha and Miroku returned with pastries, and when the hanyo handed one to Kagome, he gave her a silent look.

Kagome nodded, letting him know that she’d told Sango. She would fill him in on it later that night.

A while later, Sango and Miroku left in the direction of Sango’s apartment.

Kagome hugged her tightly before they left. Once they were gone, she and Inuyasha got ready for bed.

Once they were tucked in under the covers, Kagome pulled Inuyasha onto her so she could rub his ears.

“So how did it go?” Inuyasha asked, his voice vibrating against the skin of Kagome’s neck.

Kagome hummed. “She was surprised, but…she knows now.”

Inuyasha huffed. “I can’t believe how this happened. I mean, why would Naraku show himself now?”   


Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know, honey.” They fell into silence, the only sound being the gentle rustling of Kagome’s fingers through Inuyasha’s hair.

“I wonder how long he’s been here,” Inuyasha mused. Kagome paused.

_ I wonder, too...when Inuyasha’s mother was killed, why was Naraku here in the first place? And when did he come back? _

“I don’t want to bring this up to upset you,” Kagome began, “but...why do you think Naraku was here before what happened with your mom?”

Inuyasha didn’t answer for a moment. “I...I don’t know. Why  _ was _ he here before that? And why would he have come back after what happened with her?”

_ Something isn’t adding up. What is Naraku doing? What’s going on with him? _

They pondered the new development in silence.

“Well, whatever it is,” Inuyasha began, “it’s troubling.”   


Kagome nodded and resumed rubbing his ears.

The fleeting thought of leaving the city briefly passed through her mind again, but she pushed it away.

_ I don’t want to leave,  _ she realized.  _ The life I’ve made here is more than I could have ever dreamed of. But… _

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” Inuyasha said, changing the subject. “Neither of us have to work, so I vote we stay in our pajamas and watch movies on the couch all day.”

Kagome smiled. “I second that.” Inuyasha chuckled against her neck and gave her several kisses there before moving up to kiss her lips.

Kagome molded her mouth to his, allowing herself to melt into the quick passion they created.

Inuyasha moved his hand up into her hair, tilting her head slightly and sneaking in for a taste. 

Kagome wondered if she would ever grow tired of this, of Inuyasha’s hands on her body and his lips overpowering hers. She marveled at the way his hair softly glided through her fingers and the way his claws sent shivers up her body whenever they brushed against her skin.

When they pulled away, Kagome hugged him tightly, and he lay his head back down against her neck.

“I love you,” Kagome murmured. “More than anything.”   
Inuyasha hummed. “I love you, too.”

Kagome tried to pretend they could stay there in his room, in his bed, in their own bubble of peace.

She focused on it, allowing Inuyasha’s warmth to fill her and radiate around her.

And despite everything, Kagome slept peacefully for the first time in what felt like forever.

To be continued...


	25. The Calm

**Chapter 25: The Calm**

Inuyasha woke up to the warmth of the sun shining on his face.

It was unusual that he woke after the sun had risen; he was typically up early to prepare the bakery for the day. Even on the weekends when the bakery was closed, he still tended to wake up early out of habit.

But after the hellish week he’d had, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest to have woken up rather late.

Kagome was still fast asleep against him, so he carefully reached for his phone on the nightstand to check the time.

His eyes widened when he saw it was nearly eleven in the morning.

_ We weren’t even up all that late,  _ he pondered as he set the phone back down.  _ It’s been a rough week, though. I was exhausted. Kagome was probably even worse off. _

Kagome hadn’t stirred at all that night, and guessing from the numbness in his arm from where she was laying on it, he was willing to bet she hadn’t even moved at all that night.

And...was she  _ snoring? _

Inuyasha had to stifle a laugh.

_ I think Kagome’s snoring is cute….it’s official. I’ve gone soft. _

Smiling at the woman in his arms, Inuyasha lingered in the small mercy of Kagome’s good night’s sleep.

They had a big day ahead of them and a lot of planning to do, but Inuyasha figured he would make them a hearty brunch when Kagome woke up.

Inuyasha settled his arm back over her and nestled his face in her hair, missing the scent he’d grown to love so much.

It was still surrounding him from where she’d been tucked under the covers in his bed, but it wasn’t the same as scenting it from the source.

When Kagome started to stir about twenty minutes later, she woke slowly, leisurely. 

Her eyes finally opened to focus on Inuyasha. She hummed happily and reached up to stroke the skin of his neck.

“Good morning,” she murmured.

Inuyasha kissed her forehead. “Good morning. No nightmares?”   


Kagome shook her head against him. “No nightmares.” She nuzzled her cheek on his chest. “What time is it?”

“A little after eleven,” Inuyasha replied. 

Kagome’s eyes widened. “It’s...what? It’s that late?” Inuyasha shrugged.

“Yeah, but...it’s been a long week. Sleeping in was warranted.”

Kagome smiled and shook her head. “I haven’t slept in like that in...I don’t even remember.” Inuyasha hugged her close. “Do you want to stay in bed awhile longer or do you want to have breakfast?”

At the mention of breakfast, Kagome’s stomach rumbled.

They laughed before Kagome sat up.    


“I guess I woke up hungry, huh?” she quipped. “I can make omelettes.”

Inuyasha’s mouth nearly watered at the mention of her omelettes. “Yes, make your omelettes. Make them. Please.”   


Kagome smiled and reached her hand out to rest on Inuyasha’s cheek. Her thumb rubbed against his skin, an affectionate glint coming into her eyes.

“I have  _ so _ much I want to say to you, Inuyasha,” she said suddenly. “But...I don’t think I could ever put it into words.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened as her mirth shifted to something more serious.

A silence passed between them in which it was a simple locking of gazes, in which words incapable of being spoken were exchanged in the simplicity of a quiet moment and met eyes.

And despite her saying she was unable to put what she wanted to say into words, Inuyasha could feel it.

He  _ knew. _

“Me, too,” he murmured. 

Kagome smiled. “I know.”

Inuyasha reached up to set his hand over hers, gripping her fingers and pulling them to his mouth to place kisses on her fingertips.

Kagome’s stomach growled again a moment later, so Inuyasha released her hand and sat up to pull Kagome out of the bed with him.

He kissed her before leading her into the kitchen. “Let’s get cooking.”

o.O.o

Twenty minutes later, Inuyasha and Kagome were eating omelettes along with Miroku, who had been up much earlier than them.

Miroku didn’t tease them about sleeping so late; he just greeted them and mentioned he’d had cereal but would join them as an early lunch. 

Inuyasha could tell Miroku knew something odd was going on, and Inuyasha made a mental note to talk to Kagome about it.

_ Maybe we should tell him,  _ he mused as Kagome smiled at him from across the table.  _ I think he needs to be prepared, too. _

The scent of cinnamon rolls wafted throughout the kitchen as they finished baking in the oven. Inuyasha had whipped up a quick batter for them after Kagome made the omelettes, so they’d been able to eat the eggs while the rolls baked. 

The sweet spice of the cinnamon rolls pleasantly assaulted his senses, and he wondered how good it would taste if he kissed Kagome after eating one of the rolls.

He had a sneaking suspicion it would taste even sweeter.

And later on, after they’d eaten the baked rolls and Miroku had left to go meet Sango at her job, Inuyasha got to find out.

As he hauled Kagome up onto the counter and kissed her deeply, passionately, he marveled in the sweetness of the cinnamon rolls on her tongue and the way her hands buried in his hair, anchoring him closer to her as he wrapped his arms around her back.

She pressed herself completely against him, and Inuyasha molded himself to her, loving how perfectly they fit together.

“Kitchen counter,” Kagome murmured against his lips before kissing him again.

“What?” Inuyasha asked, pulling back only to move his attention down to Kagome’s neck.

She sighed in pleasure. “Kitchen counter...my new favorite place to kiss.” 

Inuyasha chuckled against her skin and continued to leave long, lingering presses of his mouth to the hollow of her throat down to her collarbone, then finally back up to meet her lips again.

Kagome reached up to rub his ears, and Inuyasha immediately slowed the kiss.

There was a sweetness in the way she rubbed his ears that always made him pause their fiery touches. It always brought the passion to a halt, replacing it with a quiet tenderness that was surrounded by the innocent part of love.

He dragged his mouth completely away from hers and pressed his forehead against her neck.

His eyes drifted closed as she continued to rub his ears, knowing it had become one of his favorite things.

Eventually, Kagome moved her hands down to wrap around his shoulders before sliding her arms all the way around his neck.

Inuyasha hugged her close, loving the way her heartbeat felt against his chest and the way her hair tickled his nose.

“This was a nice morning,” Kagome murmured. 

“It was,” Inuyasha replied quietly before releasing her. She smiled up at him before hopping off the counter.

After they washed the dishes, they moved to the couch and wrapped themselves in a blanket before turning on the TV.

They scrolled through Netflix before deciding on a movie, but Inuyasha was much more focused on the woman he had tucked securely against him.

_ We should probably talk after the movie is over,  _ he mused.  _ It  _ has _ been a nice morning, but we don’t have a lot of peace to enjoy right now. _

When the movie was over, Inuyasha could tell Kagome was on the same wavelength, for when he turned the TV off, she rolled over to face him.

“So,” she began. “We should...make a plan.”

Inuyasha tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah…”

“Well, I’m hiding my aura,” Kagome said. “And staying here...but do you think that’s a good idea?”

Inuyasha looked at her seriously. “I don’t want you way from me any longer than necessary.”   


Kagome sighed. “Okay, but I still have an apartment full of stuff that I’m paying rent on.”

Inuyasha paused. “Oh, right. Um, how much longer does your lease last?”

It took a moment for Kagome to answer.

“One more month,” she replied. “I only sign on for six-month leases wherever I move. Then I move to a new place.”   


Inuyasha froze. “Are you...are you doing that this time?” Kagome sighed.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know what my next step is now that Naraku found me.” 

Inuyasha held her closer. “Yeah...I just don’t get why he’s here. He killed my mom in this city and now he’s back? That just doesn’t make sense. Why was he here then and why is he here now? And why...why would he kill my mom? The more I learn about him, the less I believe it was an actual robbery gone wrong.”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know, honey. But I agree that there was probably a more malicious intent. I’m so sorry.”

Inuyasha huffed. “I hate that we don’t understand why any of this is happening.”

After a quiet moment, Inuyasha spoke again. 

“Where was Naraku from?” he asked. “You said your dad met him at a Shinto gathering?”   


Kagome nodded. “Yeah, my dad was trying to find a sensei for me since my mother was busy with my younger brother. When I was twelve, Naraku came and moved to our small community so he could train me. He taught me about the history of priests and miko, but he never actually used any power himself. I know now that it was because he’s a youkai. I don’t know where Naraku was from, though.”

Inuyasha hummed. “So...how did he know so much about spiritual power? I mean, he was able to teach you how to use your power. It’s weird that a youkai would know so much about that.”

“Really?” Kagome asked. “I was always taught youkai were well-versed in priests and miko because they wanted to kill them just as much as preists and miko wanted to kill them. Of course I know that youkai don’t want to do that, but I didn’t know that it’s not common knowledge.”

Inuyasha paused. “Well...maybe it is. My dad died when I was really young, so he never really got to teach me any youkai stuff. I could call my brother and ask him…”

Kagome seemed surprised. “You’ll call your brother? How long has it been since you talked to him?”

Inuyasha grimaced. “Does a condolence card for my mom’s funeral count? He didn’t come, but...he sent a card. I wasn’t even expecting that.”

“That’s nice,” Kagome said gently. “Maybe he’d be willing to talk. Where does he live?”

“Germany,” Inuyasha replied. “He and his mom moved there almost twenty years ago. I still have his number, but I don’t think he’d be thrilled to hear from me.”   


Kagome smiled. “You never know. But if you really don’t want to, that’s okay. I’m sure there are other ways to find out. Do you think Shippo would know anything?”   


Inuyasha paused. “Maybe...he goes to a kitsune school, but he’ll ask a million questions about why we wanted to know, so I’d rather avoid that.”

Kagome nodded. “We can do whatever you’re comfortable with, honey. I think finding this out is a good first step, regardless of how we do it.”

“I’ll call him,” Inuyasha agreed. “I’ll find his number tomorrow and do it then. I don’t know what to expect, but I guess we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully his hatred has faded over time.”   


Kagome frowned. “Why does he hate you? Because your mother is the one your father was married to?”   


Inuyasha shook his head. “No, he hates me because I’m a hanyo.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “What? Why? That’s a stupid reason to hate a little brother!”   


_ She’s only had five years in this world outside of her community,  _ Inuyasha realized.  _ Maybe she doesn’t understand the relationship between humans and youkai. _

“There’s peace between humans and youkai,” Inuyasha began, “but it’s usually looked down upon for a human and youkai to be romanically-involved.”   


Realization dawned on Kagome’s face. “Is that why you told me that you were surprised I still wanted to be with you even though you’re youkai? I thought it was because you knew of my upbringing, but…”   


“It was that, too,” Inuyasha agreed, “but it was also because humans and youkai don’t date, they don’t get married, and they don’t have children together. Youkai are especially adamant about it, like my dad’s clan was. My mother’s family didn’t want their kids to be ‘tinged with a monster’s blood.’” He looked away. “I don’t know any of my family except for my older brother, and I don’t even know him, not really.”   


Kagome reached out to cup his cheek. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful. I didn’t know things were like that.”   


Inuyasha shrugged. “Luckily, when people see me, they just see a youkai, which doesn’t bother anyone. If they found out I was a hanyo, then there might be some judgment. And...Kagome, you’ll face judgment, too.”

Kagome frowned. “What do you mean?”

Inuyasha huffed. “You’ve never noticed the stares we sometimes get? When we’re walking together, you don’t notice the extra looks people give us?”

Kagome shook her head. “No, I’ve never noticed. Does it bother you?”

“Of course, woman, for your sake,” Inuyasha replied. “I don’t want people judging you or being hateful toward you. It’s happened in the past, and it’s worse now that it’s  _ you.” _ Kagome rolled her eyes.

“I don’t care about any of that, Inuyasha,” she insisted. “The only thing I care about is you. I couldn’t care less about what anyone else thinks. Being with you is all that matters to me.” She paused. “Has that happened to you before with a woman? You two were judged for being together?”   


Inuyasha’s mind flashed to Kikyo and the obvious disdain she had for him.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I had a girlfriend I met on one of my human nights. I was walking home from a late-night snack run and she was walking in the opposite direction on the sidewalk. She stopped to talk to me and we swapped numbers.” He sighed. “She seemed smitten with me, honestly, so I didn’t think it would be a big deal that I was a youkai.”

He shook his head. “I called her the next day to ask her out, and when I picked her up, well...she didn’t like what she saw. She kind of got over it, though, and we dated for awhile. I guess she  _ tolerated _ it. She hated going on dates in public becuase people would stare, so we usually stayed in. It was obvious she preferred me on my human night, though, because that’s when we would actually go out places, and that’s when she would actually show  _ real _ affection.”

Kagome breathed a heavy sigh. “I’m so sorry. That’s  _ horrible.” _

Inuyasha shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me anymore.” He tightened his arms around her. “I don’t even think about it anymore, not when I have you right here with me.”   


Kagome laughed as he peppered her face with kisses, showing her rather than telling her how much she meant to him.

“I love you, honey,” Kagome said after Inuyasha pressed a kiss to her lips.

Inuyasha smiled and pulled her against him. “I love you, too.”

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome woke up in the middle of the night, desperately needing to use the bathroom.

_ Too much tea before bed,  _ she realized as she carefully sat up. It took a moment to untangle herself from a sleeping Inuyasha, but when she finally got up, she hurried to the bathroom.

When she finished, she reflected on the previous day as she washed her hands.

She was antsy about getting in touch with Inuyasha’s brother; she hoped it would work out in their favor. Even if he didn’t have any answers, she hoped the conversation would at least bring some peace to Inuyasha. 

As Kagome returned to Inuyasha’s room and got back under the covers, she smiled at the peaceful expression on his face. One of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen was whenever Inuyasha was asleep. He was so boyish and handsome; it lit her heart on fire.

He stirred when she lay back down against him.

His eyes half-opened and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to where she’d been sleeping before she’d gotten up.

“You okay?” he asked in a sleepy voice. Kagome nodded.

“Yeah, I just had to use the bathroom,” she murmured. “Go back to sleep, honey.” Inuyasha kissed her head before settling against her and drifting back to sleep.

And as Kagome herself succumbed to slumber, she thought about what lay ahead of her, and she wondered just how far they would have to go to get the answers they needed and what exactly would be waiting for them when they did.

She just hoped they’d make it through.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So, this story has more chapters than I was expecting and I don’t want to have more than like 35-ish, maybe a few more, so the chapters are going to be longer from now on.
> 
> I’ve liked the shorter chapter organization so far, but this story grew longer than I was expecting so the chapters are going to be longer from now on.
> 
> I mentioned in the beginning that this would happen, and now here we are! If you’ve read my other stuff, the length will be a little more familiar to you. If this is the first story you’ve read by me, then, well, I like long chapters lol.


	26. The Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...thank you all so much for all the kind comments!
> 
> I've added a small bit of calligraphy in this chapter. It's what the Ukiyo bakery sign looks like. I also added it in chapter one, but if you've been reading since then, you probably haven't seen it. It's my actual handwriting! 
> 
> I would like to give a huge shout-out to NeutronStarChild and Alannada for their input on this story. I posed what began as a rather small question, and they helped me find the finishing touch for this story. Neutron made an incredible suggestion that really took off as I incorporated it into the story, and it made the whole thing really tie together. I thought I had the story pretty much planned out before, but now I’m even more pleased with how I know it will end. Thanks so much again to you both!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 26: The Call**

The next day, Inuyasha bit the bullet after breakfast and went to track down Sesshomaru’s phone number.

He had to dig around in some of his mother’s old notebooks until he found the contact information; he hoped it was still his current number, but at the same time, he hoped it wasn’t.

But for Kagome’s sake, he knew he needed to get a hold of him one way or another.

It took awhile, but Inuyasha was able to find the number. It was scribbled down in one of his mother’s old address books; he always teased her about the outdated method of keeping track of contact information, but now he was grateful for it.

Seeing her handwriting again...it caused a small stir of grief in his heart.

“I found the number,” Inuyasha said as he pulled out an old address book. “Hopefully it’s the right one.”

Kagome smiled encouragingly. “Your mother had nice penmanship.” Inuyasha glanced down at the notebook before walking over to set it on the table.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “She designed the sign we have on the front of the bakery. It’s her calligraphy.” Kagome’s eyes widened.

“Wow, really?” she asked. “That’s amazing. She could bake  _ and _ she was artistic.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Nah, she could really only do pretty simple calligraphy. She had a steady hand, which is why she was so good with decorating cakes, but she never drew or painted. She would always say, ‘I can’t eat something that’s on paper, so why would I draw on it?’ She was kind and compassionate, but she wasn't afraid to tell it like it is or call people out when they're wrong.”

Kagome laughed. “She sounds like quite the character. Her name was Izayoi, right?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah, and my dad was Toga. We all have kinda weird names. It was a family thing, I guess.”   
Kagome’s blue eyes were soft as they collided with his; their shared pain of losing their parents was at the surface, a common feeling they both knew all too well.

“What were your parents’ names?” Inuyasha asked, realizing he didn’t know. “I know your brother was Sota, but what about your mom and dad?”

Kagome smiled. “My mom’s name was Mana and my dad’s was Haruki.”   
“Did your whole family have spiritual powers?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded.

“Yep,” she replied. “My brother hadn’t officially started his training, but he had powers. We don’t really start honing in on our power until we’re around ten or eleven. My mom was a miko and my dad was a priest. He was from a really prominent family in the religion, so he was the...headman, I guess you could say, of our community.”

“Do you think that's why Naraku was after your family?” Inuyasha asked. “For money?”

Kagome shook her head. “My family was prominent for the reputation of our powers and ancestry, not our wealth. There wasn't any money to steal.”

Inuyasha hummed.  _ So much for greed as a motive. _

“How small was the community?” Inuyasha continued. 

Kagome paused to think. “We only had about ten families.”

“And Sango’s family was one of them?” Inuyasha asked.

“Yes,” Kagome replied. “Her family didn’t have spiritual powers, but they still lived in the community and trained as taijiya. Sango, her mother, and her brother didn’t believe in killing youkai for simply being youkai, but her father did. That's why they had to learn the skill.”

“So...Naraku killed Sango’s father,” Inuyasha began slowly, “but not Sango and her mom and brother?” Kagome nodded. 

“Yeah, that's what Sango told me,” she replied. “She said her mother and brother live here in the city, too and that they've been here since they left the community. They have an apartment in the same building as Sango.”

“Why would Naraku have just sent them away?” Inuyasha pondered out loud. “If he killed her dad, why wouldn't he have killed the others, too?”

Kagome frowned. “You're right. It's not like Naraku is above killing entire families, so that wouldn't be a reason why he didn't.”

Inuyasha hummed. “It's hard to map out why Naraku has done all of this. I don't understand any of it.”

Kagome shook her head. “Me neither. I just...I feel like we’re missing something.”

Inuyasha took her hand comfortingly. “So do I. But maybe talking with my brother will help get us some answers.”

Kagome smiled encouragingly. “You're right.”

Inuyasha huffed. “Sesshomaru is such a jerk, though. I hate having to talk to him.”

“Did something happen with Sesshomaru?”   
Miroku’s voice startled Inuyasha.

“Oh, hey,” he said as Miroku came downstairs into the bakery kitchen. “Yeah, uh, I have to call Sesshomaru later.”

Miroku frowned. “Why?” There was confusion in Miroku’s eyes, but also suspicious. 

And that’s when Inuyasha knew it was time to tell him.

_ But not right now. Later on after we talk to Sesshomaru. _

“It’s a long story,” Inuaysha admitted. “But I’ll tell you later. Are you heading out?”

Miroku’s frown remained, but he nodded his understanding.

“Yeah, I’m meeting Sango. We’re going to the movies to catch a matinee before her shift this evening.”

“Tell Sango I said hi,” Kagome said. “And have fun.”

Miroku half-smiled, obviously concerned about what they were hiding from him.

When he was gone, Inuyasha grimaced.

“We need to tell him,” the hanyo said. “I know you didn’t want to bring him into this, but he can tell something is up. Miroku is smart. Maybe he can help us.”   
Kagome nodded. “Okay. I hate having to drag someone else into this mess, but I trust your judgment.”

Inuyasha reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before grabbing the address book again.

“Let’s check and see what time it is in Germany so we know when to call Sesshomaru.”

o.O.o

They had to wait until later on to call due to the eight-hour time difference, so they spent the better part of the day just trying to pass the time.

Kagome made omelettes again and was gentle in her every movement. Inuyasha knew she could sense his nervousness, and he could tell she was trying her best to comfort him.

Inuyasha was infinitely grateful for her.

Finally, when they saw it was late-morning in Germany, Inuyasha and Kagome went down to the bakery kitchen to make the call.

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he dialed the number after he and Kagome sat down at the table. He put it on speaker phone and set it down between them, growing more nervous with each ring.

_ “Guten tag.” _

Inuyasha winced at the familiar voice. Even speaking German, Sesshomaru sounded the same.

“Hey, uh, this is Inuyasha.”

A silence.

Inuyasha exchanged a glance with Kagome as they waited for Sesshomaru to answer.

_ “Was willst du?” _

Inuyasha frowned. “You know I don’t speak German, Sesshomaru. Quit being stupid and just speak Japanese.”

“What do you want?” Sesshomaru finally asked in Japanese. “What could possibly be so important that you’re calling me up out of the blue and insulting me?”   
Inuyasha growled. “Excuse you.  _ I’m _ the one insulting  _ you? _ No way. It’s always been the other way around and you know it.”

Kagome set a hand on his arm, silently reminding him that there was a reason he was calling his brother, and that reason wasn’t to unleash his anger.

“Whatever,” Inuyasha continued. “I need to ask you about some stuff. Do you have time right now?”

“Hn,” Sesshomaru grunted. “Knowing your stubbornness even as a child, I’m guessing that even if I said no, you’d just call me back. So what do you want?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “When youkai are growing up, how much do they learn about people with spiritual powers and the small communities they live in?”

“You have a computer, little brother,” Sesshomaru said. “Google it.”   
“Google isn’t as good as hearing it from an actual youkai, idiot,” Inuyasha countered. “Now can you just answer the question?”

“Fine,” Sesshomaru conceded. “We don’t learn much about them, aside from identifying their auras. We have to know what their auras and powers feel like to be able to avoid them and hide from them if it comes down to it. That’s it.”

Inuyasha and Kagome frowned.

“So...you don’t learn about their livelihood?” Inuyasha persisted. “Like...how they train?”

“No,” Sesshomaru replied. “I’m in disbelief that you would call me after so many years for something as trivial as that.”   
“Well, Dad wasn’t around to teach me,” Inuyasha shot back. “And Mom didn’t know, either. Sorry that you’re having to do one little thing for the brother you hate so much. You bastard.”

“While I have you on the phone,” the full-youkai continued, ignoring Inuyasha’s insult, “I will give you the news.” Inuyasha frowned.

“What news?” he asked. 

“I’m engaged to be married,” Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha’s jaw dropped at the very abrupt change in topic.

“You’re...what?”

“Engaged,” Sesshomaru repeated. “Try to keep up. I sent you an announcement in the mail, but it seems I’ve wasted a postage stamp since you've called me now. It’s going to be a courthouse marriage, so there will be no actual ceremony.”

“Uh, congratulations, I guess,” Inuyasha replied. “Hopefully she can do something with your crap attitude and bland personality.”

He could practically  _ see _ Sesshomaru roll his eyes.

“So you say. And yet Kagura has never made any complaints about me.”   
Inuyasha scoffed. “Well, thank goodness for small mercies.”

“Do you still have the bakery running?” Sesshomaru asked, changing the subject again. “I truly was sorry to hear about Izayoi’s passing.”

The sincerity in Sesshomaru’s voice made Inuyasha pause.

“Oh, um...thanks. Yeah, I took over the bakery. It wasn’t a hard choice to make after what happened.”   
“That’s good to hear,” Sesshomaru replied. “She made the best bread.”   
_ This conversation took a turn I definitely wasn’t ready for...we got our answer. It’s time to wrap this up. _

“Yeah, she did,” Inuyasha muttered curtly.   
“Do you run the bakery alone?” Sesshomaru asked. “That sounds like quite a bit of work.”

“No,” Inuyasha replied. “I have a part-timer and a co-owner. My co-owner is my best friend.” Inuyasha glanced at Kagome. “I also...I also have a girlfriend. Her name is Kagome.”   
“An interesting name,” Sesshomaru mused. “Well, I hope I receive a wedding announcement if it ever comes to that.”

Inuyasha’s face went up into flames, as did Kagome’s, and that’s when he knew it really was time to end the call.

“Right,” he replied. “Anyway, thanks for your attempt at answering my question.”   
Sesshomaru hummed. “Do you have an explanation for why it was important enough for you to call me?”

Inuyasha hesitated. “Uh, nope. Call it curiosity. So...bye.”

_ “Auf Wiederhören.” _

“Idiot,” Inuyasha grumbled. “You know I don’t speak German.”   
He hung up the phone and took a deep breath, feeling like he’d aged a whole decade from that one conversation.

“Are you okay, honey?” Kagome asked, taking his hand. Inuyasha nodded.

“Yeah, he’s just...well, you heard him.”

“He sounded harsh in the beginning,” Kagome admitted. “But by the end it sounded like he was really interested in hearing about your life.”   
Inuyasha grimaced. “He probably just wanted to know if I’d run the bakery into the dirt. He doesn’t care.”

Kagome squeezed his hand. “Maybe he's changed over the years. When was the last time you actually saw him?” 

“Um...it's been a long time,” Inuyasha admitted. “I think he visited once when I was really young before my dad died and then he came to the funeral. That was when I was a kid, though.”

“So...a little under twenty years ago then?” Kagome asked. “It sounds like you don't know him at all, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stood up from the chair. “It's not that simple, Kagome. You don't get it. My mom would try to call him for his birthday every year and he would answer, say horrible things to her, and then hang up. So you don't understand anything about it, alright?” He raked a hand through his hair and paced the room, trying and failing to calm himself down.

Kagome was silent. When Inuyasha turned around to look at her, he saw that her eyes had gone wide. 

Inuyasha knew her surprise came from his bout of anger. He hadn't spoken to her so sharply before, not even when they first met, and guilt immediately washed over him. 

“I'm sorry, Kagome,” Inuyasha said, coming back over to her. “I shouldn't have...I'm sorry. It’s just a sore spot.”

Kagome shook her head. “No, it's my fault. I pushed you too much. I just know that you only get to have a brother once, so you should make the best of it.”

Inuyasha gently ruffled her bangs before sitting back down in the chair next to her. He took her hand, squeezing it gently. 

“I...could try to reach out again,” Inuyasha said slowly. “You're right. It  _ has _ been a long time. I never expected him to get married, but he’s thirty-six now so I guess it was bound to happen eventually. People always say falling in love softens you, so maybe that'll be the case with him.” He smiled at Kagome. “It's what happened to me.”

Kagome’s eyes shone brightly. “So you’re saying I made my baker boy as soft as his dough?” She smiled. “I think reaching out again is a great idea.” Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head.

“I will,” he replied. “After we get everything figured out with Naraku.”

Kagome’s smile faded.

“Speaking of Naraku…” she began. “That conversation with Sesshomaru didn’t really give us a good answer.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Nope. So now what?”

Kagome frowned. “I’m not sure. If youkai don't learn about spiritual training, how did Naraku know so much about it? Especially to the point that he knew how to teach me properly?”

“I wonder if he did research,” Inuyasha mused. “Maybe that's how he learned.”

Kagome nodded eagerly. “Yeah, that would explain it.” Inuyasha stood up from the table and grabbed one of the chairs to slide it over to the computer in the far corner of the kitchen. 

He set the chair next to the one by the computer and motioned for Kagome to come sit down. 

Once he was sitting in front of the computer and Kagome was sitting next to him, he booted it up and logged in. 

It was an old computer, so it took a little while to get it up and running. 

When Inuyasha finally pulled up the web browser, he paused. 

“Uh, should I just Google 'spiritual power training?’” 

Kagome laughed. “Search for ‘Shinto spiritual practices.’” Inuyasha nodded and typed it in before starting the search. 

o.O.o

Thirty minutes later, they’d found several websites with information, but the training practices listed were from many centuries earlier. 

“None of this is right,” Kagome said as they poured through the websites. “These are ancient trainings. We have more modern methods and practices that aren't listed on any of these sites.”

“So I guess Naraku researching everything isn’t an explanation,” Inuyasha muttered. Kagome shook her head. 

“He must have known someone in a community,” she said. “But youkai aren’t allowed there, so I wonder how he did it.”

“But why would he want to do that?” Inuyasha countered. “What's the point of learning all of that to the point of teaching only to...do what he did?”

Kagome groaned. “He's on the loose right now running around the city, and we don’t have a clue why.”

Inuyasha tapped his claws on the computer table, racking his mind for any ideas.

“Yeah, I got nothing,” he admitted. “Maybe I could search him out on my own. I don't want you anywhere near him, but I could--”

“No,” Kagome interrupted. “I don't want  _ you _ anywhere near him, Inuyasha. He's a  _ murderer. _ He  _ kills  _ people.”

Inuyasha frowned. “I know, but how are we supposed to lure him out if I don't go looking for him?”

Kagome looked at him like he was crazy. “You  _ want _ to lure him out? No! I'm still trying to  _ hide _ from him.”

“You can't just hide forever, Kagome,” Inuyasha said. “If we find him, and you and Sango turn him in together, maybe there will be a good enough defense against him.”

Kagome took his hand and looked at him seriously. “Inuyasha, if we turn him in, he’ll pin it on me. I have  _ no _ evidence to clear my name. It's even more suspicious because I ran.”

“But if you and Sango--”

“I'm not bringing Sango into it like this,” Kagome interjected. “Please just...let it go. At least for now. If we absolutely just can't find any other way, then I’ll risk it.” She looked at him pleadingly. “But right now, I don't  _ want  _ to risk it.

“He hasn't approached me or shown his aura anymore,” Kagome continued. “He might not even know it was me. Maybe he just  _ thought  _ it was.” She cut herself off, and Inuyasha could see the desperation in her eyes. 

_ We both know that's wishful thinking.  _

“Okay, maybe not,” Kagome said. “But unless he shows himself again, I'm just going to keep being cautious. I'm not going to seek him out, and I don't want  _ you  _ to seek him out either. Okay?”

Inuyasha hesitated, hating her plan. 

_ I want to  _ do  _ something, not just wait around for  _ him _ to do something.  _

“Inuyasha,  _ promise _ me.”

Golden eyes clashed with blue, and the desperation he saw in Kagome's eyes had him sighing in defeat. 

“Fine,” he replied unhappily. “But the second he makes another move, I'm doing  _ something.” _

_ I don't know what,  _ Inuyasha thought to himself,  _ but I won’t just sit by idly. I'm so close to justice.  _ We’re  _ so close to justice, even if Kagome doesn't think so.  _

Inuyasha glanced at the clock. 

“Let's have some dinner,” he said. “I’ll order a pizza.”

Kagome half-smiled and nodded. 

_ Pizza solves any problem…well, sorta.  _

o.O.o

When Miroku got home, the pizza had arrived and Kagome and Inuyasha were getting their plates.

“Hey,” Miroku greeted.   
“Hey,” Inuyasha echoed. 

“Hi, Miroku,” Kagome chimed in. “Do you want some pizza? We can eat and...talk.”   
Miroku nodded. “That sounds good.”

Once they’d gotten their pizza and sat down at the table, Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a glance.

And then Kagome told him everything.

Miroku’s eyes were wide when she finished explaining. 

“That’s...a lot,” he breathed. “Kagome, I’m so sorry all that happened to you. That’s  _ horrible.” _

Kagome shook her head. “It’s okay. We’re just trying to focus on what's happening right now.”

“So Naraku is here in the city,” Miroku began slowly, “and he’s a youkai with an abnormal amount of knowledge about spiritual powers.” At Kagome’s nod, he frowned. “And you said there’s no public information about that kind of thing?”   
“Right,” Kagome confirmed. “So the only explanation is that he knew someone who was well-versed in spiritual powers, but...I don’t know how that would be possible. People with spiritual powers never interact with youkai, unless it’s to kill them.” She glanced at Inuyasha. “Sorry, honey. I know you must hate hearing it as much as I hate saying it.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“It’s okay.” He turned to Miroku. “So what do you think? Any ideas?”   
Miroku paused to think. “Well, you said he hid his youkai aura before. Maybe he did that somewhere else and was able to infiltrate a community and learn their ways.”

Kagome frowned. “But if he were a youkai, there’s no way he would be able to train as a Shinto priest. I never felt him use spiritual power of his own, and now that we know he’s a youkai, that confirms that he doesn’t have powers. He wouldn’t have been trained without them.”   
Miroku hummed. “I don’t know then,” he admitted. “I’ll think more about it, but I’m stumped.”

Kagome sighed. “So are we. Maybe I should talk to Sango. I don’t like talking to her about it, but we need as much brain power as possible.”

“I agree,” Miroku replied. “It seems we all share the same grief. Losing family members...it’s hard.” 

Kagome reached out to squeeze Miroku’s hand. “It helps to have people who understand, even though it’s painful.” Miroku smiled at her.

Kagome released his hand to grab her cup of soda. Raising it in the air, she smiled.

“To our families,” Kagome said. “I hate that they left us but at least they brought us together.”

“To our families,” Inuyasha and Miroku echoed before they all touched their cups together.

Inuyasha smiled at Kagome, trying to silently express how deeply he felt for her. If the softness in her eyes was any indicator, Inuyasha was willing to believe she was doing the same.

The three of them spent the rest of the night talking and exchanging stories about their families.

It was the first time Inuyasha had really indulged in his memories, and it was more comforting than he’d expected.

Maybe it was the pizza, or his best friend’s smile, or the warmth of the woman he loved from beside him.

Whatever it was, it gave him a special kind of comfort he’d only felt late at night in his bed, while whispering with Kagome under the covers.

In the well-lit kitchen, it was just as nice. 

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome lay on her side in the bed, Inuyasha's chest warming her back as he curled around her in his sleep. 

She set her hand on the arm Inuyasha had wrapped her around her waist and sighed quietly. 

She'd been hoping to get more answers, but all they'd managed to figure out was that Naraku had a source for his knowledge in spiritual power. She both dreaded and appreciated Miroku’s new involvement; she hated bringing him into the mess, but she was grateful for another person’s opinion.

_ We just can’t figure out how Naraku learned about Shinto spiritual power. I feel like there’s something important that we’re missing. Who could have taught him all that? And why would he have come after my family with that knowledge? _

She tried to think about the puzzle of the situation, as well as all of the pieces she knew they were missing.

_ How does all of this connect? _

Her mind drifted to Inuyasha’s desire to  _ do  _ something.

But Inuyasha wasn't the one who could do something. 

Kagome was.

She knew what she would need to do if it came down to it, but leaving the city was the  _ last _ thing she wanted to do. 

But if it meant protecting Inuyasha and Sango, and now Miroku…

She took a deep breath and tried to push the thoughts from her mind. 

_ I'll cross that bridge if I get to it. _

She tried to instead focus on the body against her back and the arm wrapped around her waist. She could feel Inuyasha’s warm exhales on her neck, and it sent a soothing shiver through her body. 

She finally started to drift off to sleep as Inuyasha’s touch and the scent of him brought her a small sliver of peace.

_ At least in all of this, I have him.  _

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if you've read some of my other stories, whenever Kagome's mother is mentioned by name, I always make it Mana. That's a nod to Rumiko Takahashi's other work, "Mermaid Saga." The name means "love and affection," which I think fits Kagome's mother perfectly :)
> 
> You can always find meaning in names I pick for my stories. I always search up lists of names and go through their meanings; I pick the meaning that is relevant to the person or their significance in the story. It's a bit of an easter egg, I guess!


	27. The Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features an amazing art piece by dreaming-of-soup <3

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 27: The Connection**

A few days later, Inuyasha went outside to check the mail before the bakery closed.

He frowned as he walked inside and locked the door behind him, noticing an unusual letter in the mail.

The name on the return address had him rolling his eyes. When he walked into the kitchen, he held up the letter for Kagome to see.

“This must be the wedding announcement,” he said, walking over to sit next to Kagome at the table.

“ _‘From Sesshomaru and Kagura Takahashi,’_ ” Kagome read aloud. “I guess his fiancée already took his last name.”

Inuyasha grimaced and opened the letter, pulling out the announcement.

There was a photo of Sesshomaru, as well as a woman in his embrace.

Her hair was pulled up with a small feather adorning the bun, and her smile was small but genuine as her hands settled on the arms Sesshomaru had wrapped around her.

So that was Kagura.

His...sister-in-law.

But that wasn’t the weirdest part.

 _Is Sesshomaru_ smiling _in this photo?_ _I’ve never seen him smile._

“That’s your brother?” Kagome asked incredulously as she looked at the photo. Inuyasha nodded.

“Yep,” he replied, looking down at the silver-haired full-youkai. He looked much older than Inuyasha remembered.

“Wow…” Kagome trailed off as she stared at Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha paused, waiting to hear her reaction.

“You two look nothing alike,” she finally said. “You have the same hair and eyes, but that’s it.” 

Inuyasha shrugged. “He looks like our dad and I look like my mom.” Kagome brightened.

“Do you have any pictures of them?” she asked excitedly.

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah, they’re upstairs.” Kagome followed him up the steps and into the living room. She plopped down on the couch while Inuyasha went to find some photo albums.

When he’d grabbed the first one he could find, he brought it over and sat down next to Kagome.

“I was an ugly baby,” he warned as he handed her the album. “So...be prepared.”

Kagome laughed and opened the album.

_Of course the first picture is of me as a baby…_

Kagome squealed. “Ugly, my butt! You’re _so_ cute! Look at your little teeny claws and baby fangs!” 

Inuyasha blushed. “Keh.” Kagome gushed over how cute he was as she turned the page to find a few more.

When she got to the first picture of Inuyasha’s parents, her amusement died down.

“Wow,” she breathed. “Your mother was so beautiful. You really do look like her. And your dad is so... _regal.”_

Inuyasha peered down at the photo she was referring to. It was an old one that Izayoi had once told Inuyasha was taken shortly after she and his father started dating. They’d gotten married only a month later, and a month after that, Izayoi was pregnant with Inuyasha.

His father’s hair was pulled up in a high ponytail that really _did_ make him look regal, and his mother was smiling brightly, her black hair flowing long and free.

The next photo was Inuyasha with his parents. He looked to be about six months old, and his parents had him encompassed in their arms.

“You can see that they loved you so much,” Kagome murmured. “Look at how happy they are.”

Inuyasha smiled down at the photo, remembering how warm the bakery and the apartment had always felt with them. Even after his father died, his mother was still so happy, even if it wasn’t quite the magnitude it had been.

_“Mommy, will you be sad forever?”_

_“No, Inuyasha, my darling. I have you. That’s all I need from now on.”_

Inuyasha remembered asking his mother that question a few days after his father’s funeral and her reaffirming promise to him.

They really _had_ been happy: the two of them against the world.

“She was a great mom,” Inuyasha said quietly. “My dad was a great dad, too, from what I remember.”  
“How did he die?” Kagome asked gently. Inuyasha sighed.

“He got really sick one winter,” he replied. “It was shortly after the Shikon Festival. It was an illness only inu-youkai get, and he didn’t recover. I’m immune because of my human-half, but it’s what ultimately killed my dad.”

Kagome reached out and took his hand. “I’m sorry.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“It’s alright,” he replied. “It’s like you said...we were all really happy. My mom always used to say that even though he was sad when he died, he was happy, too, because he at least got to have that much time with us.”

Kagome squeezed his hand. “That’s beautiful, Inuyasha. Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman.”

Inuyasha wrapped an arm around Kagome. “She would’ve loved you. I wish she could have met you.”

They continued going through the album; Kagome made constant comments about how cute Inuyasha was, and those soon turned to comments about how cute Miroku was after he started showing up in photos.

They came across a picture in which Miroku and Inuyasha were both making goofy faces at their high school graduation, and Inuyasha chuckled at it.

_I’ll have to show this to Miroku later._

When they finished looking at the photos, Kagome set the album down and curled up against Inuyasha.

“It’s nice that you have so many photos,” she said. “I only have that one photo album left from my house. I snuck back to my house after I ran from the hospital and found it. It was the only thing left.”

Kagome looked up at him, smiling brightly. “We should take our own photos soon. With Miroku and Sango, too.”

Inuyasha held her close. “If you want to.” 

As if he could ever deny her of something that made her smile like that.

Later on, Miroku got a kick out of the photo of himself and Inuyasha at graduation, and they started sharing memories about what it was like growing up as friends.

Kagome seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, and it made Inuyasha pull out his phone and snap a photo of her.

Kagome smiled at him. “Did you just take a picture of me?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Gotta start somewhere with our pictures.” Kagome laughed and took the phone from him, angling it to fit them both on the screen.

“Get in on this, Miroku,” she said eagerly. Miroku chuckled and walked over to stand behind the couch, leaning over to get in the frame.

Miroku then insisted on taking a photo of Kagome and Inuyasha, and Inuyasha only half-pretended to not want to.

Because he really _did_ want to.

That night, as Kagome lay with Inuyasha in his bed, they went through the photos.

“Aw, we look so cute,” she said when they reached the one of the two of them. “We make a nice couple.”

_We really do..._

Inuyasha admired the photo of himself and Kagome on the couch.

Inuyasha's arm was wrapped around Kagome and she was curled up against his side, obviously trying to steal a bit of his warmth. His head was leaning against hers and there was a small smile on his face, vastly different from the bright smile Kagome was sporting, but still conveying the same sense of affection. Her blue eyes were sparkling, exuding a happiness that Inuyasha never wanted to fade.

It was beautiful.

Inuyasha chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

“Can I see your phone for a second?” she asked. Inuyasha handed it to her, figuring she wanted a closer look at the pictures.

Instead, she held the camera up and kissed his cheek, surprising him.

“Hey, at least let me pose,” Inuyasha said.

Kagome smiled. “I wanted to get your cute surprised face.” She pulled up the picture and showed it to him.

“See? Look how cute you are!”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned in to give her a proper kiss.

He heard the snap of the camera go off, alerting him that Kagome had taken a picture.

He didn’t care, though.

It would just serve as a reminder of how it felt to kiss her.

o.O.o

The next day, when Inuyasha returned to the bakery after walking Kagome to work, Miroku was waiting for him.

“Hey,” Inuyasha greeted. Miroku had a grave expression on his face, immediately alerting Inuyasha. He’d seemed so jovial the previous night when they’d been taking pictures, so Inuyasha was concerned at the sudden change.

“What’s wrong?” Inuyasha asked.

Miroku took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the situation with Kagome, and I think I’ve realized something.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Okay, what is it?”

Miroku’s brow furrowed. “So...Naraku has randomly shown up and alerted his presence to Kagome pretty much out of the blue.”

Inuyasha nodded again. “Right.”

“I think I might have an idea of why he’s done it,” Miroku began, “and...if I’m right, we might have a bigger problem on our hands.” Inuyasha’s frowned.

“What are you thinking might be the reason?”

Miroku looked physically pained. “Sango.”

“Sango?” Inuyasha repeated, confusion leaking into his voice. “What about her?”

“Think about it,” Miroku insisted. “Naraku shows up right after Kagome and Sango reunite after years of being apart. That makes me think he’s known where Sango is, and since he knows, maybe that’s how he found out Kagome is in the city.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “So...you think Naraku has been keeping tabs on Sango?” Realization dawned on him. 

“Wait a second...Kagome said that Sango mentioned she’s been here in the city ever since she, her mother, and her brother were sent away from Kagome’s community. That must be why Naraku came to the city after the fire...to keep up with Sango and her family.”

Miroku nodded. “Yeah...that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Horror washed over Inuyasha. “So now what? If Naraku knows Kagome and Sango have crossed paths again, what’s he going to do about it? Two people who know about the crimes he committed...Kagome said she wouldn’t drag Sango into reporting Naraku for his crimes, but Naraku doesn’t know that. What if he thinks they’re going to go to the police?”

Miroku shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m worried. I don’t want Naraku to come after them.”

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair, trying to think about what they should do. 

“I have to tell Kagome,” Inuyasha said. “Naraku could come for her at any moment.”

“Do you think he knows anything about you and I?” Miroku asked. “If he’s been keeping track of Sango, I’m willing to bet he knows about me for sure, but what about you?”

“I’m almost certain he does,” Inuyasha replied. “Since I’ve been walking Kagome to work and picking her up, there’s no way he doesn’t know about me.”

Inuyasha grabbed the jacket he’d slipped off and put it back on. “I’m going over to Kagome’s job. I need to tell her about everything.”

Miroku nodded. “Okay. We still have about forty-five minutes until we open, so you’ve got time.”

“Thanks,” Inuyasha replied. “See you soon.”

He hurried out of the bakery and headed in the direction of the store, intent on reaching Kagome as quickly as he could.

When he reached the store, he walked in and nodded at the person behind the counter. He walked through the aisles, trying to remain inconspicuous, until he found Kagome stocking some of the shelves.

“Hey,” he greeted quietly. Kagome looked up from where she was kneeling in front of a shelf and smiled.

“Hi,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

Inuyasha frowned and knelt down next to her. “Is there any way you can leave early? Or...quit today?”

Kagome frowned. “What are you talking about? Did something happen?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah. I was talking to Miroku and I think he might have figured some stuff out about the...situation.” Kagome’s eyes widened. 

“What is it?”

Inuyasha looked around. “I don’t want to say too much just in case. Can you say you’re not feeling well or something?”

Kagome nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Wait here.” Kagome got up and went to the back, most likely to find whomever ran the schedule.

A few minutes later, she had her purse and her coat slung over her arm.

“I told my boss I puked in the bathroom,” she said. “I feel bad for lying, but...I guess I needed to.” Inuyasha nodded and led her out of the store.

They hurried back to the bakery, being mindful of their surroundings. Inuyasha kept a firm grip on her hand; Miroku’s suspicions were running through his mind, reminding Inuyasha that they were _all_ probably in danger.

When they got to the bakery, Inuyasha locked the door behind them. They still had some time before they opened, and Inuyasha wanted to keep the door locked as long as possible.

Miroku was waiting for them in the kitchen, the grim expression still on his face. 

“Hey, Kagome,” he greeted. Kagome forced a smile.

“Hi,” she replied. “Inuyasha said you have an idea about what’s going on?”

Miroku nodded and motioned to the table so they could all sit down. Inuyasha sat in the chair next to Kagome, gently taking her hand and offering silent support.

As Miroku began explaining, Kagome’s face turned pale. Her grip on Inuyasha’s hand tightened as Miroku spoke, and Inuyasha wondered if they would ever get to a point where they didn’t have this overshadowing fear as a constant presence in their lives.

When Miroku finished, they fell into a silence. 

Kagome took a shaky breath. “So he connected me to Sango, and now he most likely knows about you two. _Everyone_ is in danger now. Because of _me.”_

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said seriously. “None of this is your fault. It’s _Naraku’s_ fault.”

Kagome shook her head. “If Naraku does something to me, you guys will know it was him. You really think he’s gonna leave any loose ends? He won’t just come after me. He’ll come after _all_ of us. He’ll kill me and then he’ll...I don’t even know what he would do to you guys!” 

She dropped her head into her hands. “This is _exactly_ what I was afraid of happening. I dragged you guys into this, which is what I always wanted to avoid. Why is Naraku _doing_ this? What does he _want?”_

“Hey,” Inuyasha said, tugging on Kagome’s hand. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll figure out how to fix this.”

The hanyo exchanged a glance with Miroku, and the concern he saw in his best friend’s eyes mirrored his own.

“I should tell Sango,” Miroku said, rising from the table. “I’m going to head over to the hospital and see if I can find her during her shift.” Inuyasha nodded.

“Stay safe,” he called.

Miroku nodded back before leaving the kitchen.

When Inuyasha heard the front door lock after Miroku left, he turned in his chair to face Kagome.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out to cup Kagome’s cheeks in his. He gently turned her face toward him, and he wasn’t surprised to see the tears gathering in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice nearly inaudible. “Things would have been so simple for you if I had never stolen anpan from you.”

Inuyasha wiped away the tears that had started to fall down her cheeks.

“Kagome, _stop._ We’re all scared about this, but I’m with you. I already told you I’m with you in this, all the way.”

Kagome sniffled. “I’m going to call the store later and quit my job. Also...I need to go to my apartment for awhile. I can’t stay here anymore. It’s like having a target on the bakery and you guys.”

Inuyasha frowned. “I’ll come with you. I don’t want you to be alone.”

Kagome sighed. “Okay.” Inuyasha nodded, relieved she agreed.

“We’ll go after the bakery closes, okay?” he asked. “I’ll stay with you tonight and just come back here in the morning.”

“Okay.” Inuyasha leaned in and kissed her.

“It’ll be okay, baby,” he murmured before kissing her once more.

o.O.o

The day dragged on slowly. 

Inuyasha baked his usual bread and rang up customers since Miroku had yet to come back to the bakery. 

When lunchtime had passed and Miroku still hadn’t returned, Inuyasha sent him a quick text.

**Hey, everything alright?**

A moment later, Miroku replied.

**Yeah, it took a while to find Sango and she freaked out when I told her.**

Inuyasha took a deep breath.

**Is she okay?**

**Just shaken up. Do you mind if I stay with her for the rest of the day?**

**No, you definitely should. Let me know if you need anything.**

Inuyasha put his phone in his pocket and sighed.

_What a day._

He made some anpan for Kagome as she called the store to give her notice.

“I’ll still have to work the next two weeks,” Kagome explained when she got off the phone. “But then I’m done.”

Inuyasha nodded, relieved. The less time she spent away from him, the better. 

Shippo came by at his usual time, and it seemed like that helped Kagome’s mood. She applauded Shippo’s new kitsune tricks and gave him a piece of the anpan Inuyasha made her.

Inuyasha figured Shippo wasn’t at the bakery enough to be noticed by Naraku, so he hoped the kit wouldn’t be affected by what was happening. Shippo asked where Miroku was; he readily accepted Inuyasha’s excuse of him wanting to spend a little extra time with his girlfriend.

Luckily, Shippo hadn’t picked up on any uneasiness during his shifts.

His mom picked him up at closing, and as soon as he was gone, Inuyasha went to pack his overnight bag. Kagome had already packed her bag and was ready to go, so she waited in the kitchen while Inuyasha grabbed his stuff. 

He sent a text to Miroku letting him know he would be staying at Kagome’s apartment that night before he locked up the bakery and left with Kagome at his side.

Kagome’s grip on his hand and arm were tight as they walked, and Inuyasha could tell she was keeping her guard up for any sign of Naraku.

Inuyasha was, too; his senses were on high-alert.

He had a sinking feeling that they were running out of time.

When they reached Kagome’s building, she led him upstairs to her apartment before locking the door behind them.

She sighed and kicked off her shoes before walking to her bedroom.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. The hanyo shook his head and followed her to the bedroom.

Kagome walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas before slipping out of her jeans and work shirt to put them on.

When she finished changing, she crawled into her bed and got under the covers. She looked up at Inuyasha before patting the bed next to her in silent invitation.

Inuyasha couldn’t hide his smile; when she looked at him like that, with an affectionate expectation in her eyes, he couldn’t fight his reaction.

He was still wearing jeans, but he’d changed into a clean shirt after closing the bakery, so he just changed into the pair of sweatpants he’d brought.

When he was comfortable, he slid into the bed next to Kagome and wrapped his arms around her. She lay her head against his chest as he ran his hand up and down her back.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid,” Inuyasha murmured.

Kagome sighed. “Keeping you safe isn’t stupid, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha held her tighter. “Don’t leave. I know it’s what you’re thinking about doing.”

_If she leaves, I don’t know what I’ll do. Things won’t be the same without her._

“Inuyasha--”

“I’m not kidding,” the hanyo interrupted. “Don’t leave...don’t leave me.”

Kagome sat up to look down at him.

“I would never leave _you,_ honey,” she said softly. She reached up to cup his cheek, caressing the skin with her fingers. “I don’t want you to ever think that, okay?”

Inuyasha nodded, but there was something in Kagome’s eyes that worried him.

It almost looked like...dread.

He went to say something else, to argue, to try and convince her to not even _consider_ leaving.

But Kagome leaned down and kissed him, surpassing gentle and crossing straight into desperation.

Inuyasha kissed her back just as desperately, rolling over to cover her body with his, never ceasing his attention to her lips.

He tried to convey everything he was feeling into his touches.

He just hoped it was enough to keep her there.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome was wrapped in Inuyasha’s arms, overwhelmed by his warmth, his taste, as he kissed her deeply, over and over.

She didn’t want to cry again, so she held the tears in and channeled her emotions into the kiss.

“I’ll stay,” she murmured against his lips. “I won’t leave.”

Inuyasha nodded, brushing his nose against hers, and she could feel his relief as he kissed her again.

_...yet._

To be continued...


	28. The Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure you’ve noticed that the end of the chapters tend to be from Kagome’s POV, but in this chapter, when we see Kagome’s POV for the first time, it’ll go back to Inuyasha’s, then end with Kagome’s.
> 
> It’s labeled as it normally is, so when you see this:
> 
> O.o.O.o.O
> 
> That means we are switching to a different POV. 
> 
> I didn’t want to give you guys a short chapter with a cliffhanger, so that’s why I’m switching it up a little. 
> 
> And thank you all so much for the kind comments!! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 28: The Message**

When Inuyasha got out of the shower the next morning, he walked back into Kagome’s room to find her still curled up in her bed.

“It’s getting late, baby,” he said as he slipped his shirt on. “We have to leave soon.”   


Kagome shook her head. “I’m not going into work today.” Inuyasha frowned.

“But--”   


“What’s the point, Inuyasha?” she interrupted. “None. There  _ is _ no point.” She pulled the blanket up and over her head, hiding herself from the light of the room.

“Kagome…”   


“I’ll be here when you get back,” she said, her voice muffled. “I’ll make omelettes for dinner.”   


Inuyasha walked over to pull the blanket down enough so he could see her face.

He tried to smile.

“You think I’m gonna leave without kissing you?” he asked. “Keh. Pesky woman.”   


Kagome breathed a quiet laugh. “You always know what to say.” She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, meeting him halfway to kiss him goodbye.

o.O.o

“Hey, how’s Kagome?”   


Miroku was behind the counter preparing the cash register for the day when Inuyasha arrived at the bakery.

When he asked about Kagome, Inuyasha grimaced.

“She’s...not great,” he admitted. “She didn’t even get out of bed this morning.”   


Miroku shook his head. “I feel bad for her. I wish I could do more to help.”

Inuyasha sighed. “Me, too.”

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome didn’t get up until one in the afternoon, and it was only because her bladder was screaming at her to be relieved.

She ignored the two phone calls she’d received from work, wanting to just completely avoid that mess altogether.

Inuyasha had sent her several texts throughout the morning, and she’d responded to each one, but it was almost physically impossible to even lift her arms enough to type.

She looked in the mirror after she finished her business, and she could hardly believe the sight.

Her hair was a mess, which she’d been expecting, but there were also dark circles under her eyes, standing out against the unnatural paleness of her face.

Her scars seemed brighter than usual, angrier, and she ripped her attention away from the mirror to pad into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Kagome guzzled the water before refilling the glass and drinking a second one. She left the cup on the counter before going back to her bedroom and crawling under the covers.

Once she was curled up again, she closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath.

_ I haven’t felt like this since the fire,  _ she mused silently.  _ The only reason I haven’t spiraled as badly is because of Inuyasha. _

Kagome sighed and rolled over to grab her phone. She dialed Inuyasha’s number and put it on speaker phone so she could curl up in her blanket again.

Inuyasha answered on the second ring.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted. “You alright?”   


“Hi,” Kagome replied. “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry I was...snippy this morning. I guess that’s the only word that really describes it.”   


“Don’t worry about it,” Inuyasha assured her. “I’ll bring you some fresh anpan tonight. That’ll help, yeah?” Kagome curled up in her blanket, breathing in the lingering scent of him.

“That sounds nice. Thanks, honey.”

Inuyasha chuckled.

“What’s funny?” Kagome asked.

“We sound like an old married couple,” Inuyasha said, amused. “It’s like...I’ll bring dessert, dear. See you at home for dinner.”   


Kagome laughed. “Well,  _ dear, _ I must say that I enjoy the domestic vibe we’ve got going on.”

Inuyasha hummed. “Me, too.”   


“I love you,” Kagome said. “Will you call me when you’re on your way back here?”   


“Sure,” Inuyasha replied. “I love you, too.”

When they ended the call, Kagome set the phone down and got back under the blanket.

She reflected on everything that had happened since she’d stolen anpan that first time. She’d only meant for it to be a one-time thing, but it was so  _ good _ and so similar to her mom’s that she couldn’t resist coming back for more.

And Inuyasha...knowing his were the hands behind the rolls made them even sweeter.

Inuyasha made  _ everything _ sweeter.

She remembered the first time they’d locked eyes: blue clashing with gold.

There had been a sadness in his eyes, a familiar one, that had resonated so deeply within Kagome that she knew it wasn't just the anpan bringing her back to the bakery.

There was also a hesitant gleam in his eyes, one that she’d watched slowly fade until she could hardly remember what it looked like or what it felt like to have that gaze settle on her. It had taken a while, but she could feel  _ all _ of Inuyasha. He was giving her every piece of himself. That hesitation was gone.

_ I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve  _ any _ of it. _

Maybe she’d always known that she would eventually come to love him. It had been in that first moment they’d locked eyes after she slid her sunglasses to the top of her head.

Whatever it was, it was inevitable. 

It was  _ destiny. _

It was Inuyasha.

With her thoughts still revolving around him, Kagome finally got up and went to the bathroom again, ignoring her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth before starting the shower. 

She stood under the water for much longer than usual, allowing the warmth of the liquid to relax her body. 

By the time she got around to washing her hair, the water was nearly cold, so she quickly finished up and got out.

She wrapped a towel around her body as she rang her hair out over the bathtub. Once that was done, she went to her room to put on a pair of fresh pajamas.

_ No point in getting dressed,  _ she reasoned.  _ The day is half-over anyway.  _

Kagome put her pajamas on before going over to her window to open the curtains.

_ The sunshine might do me some good. _

But when she opened the curtains, the sun wasn’t what greeted her.

It was a message written on the glass of her window.

_ “Stupid girl.” _

O.o.O.o.O

When six rolled around, Inuyasha grabbed the anpan and finished closing the bakery before he dialed Kagome’s number. 

It continued to ring as he locked the door, then as he started down the sidewalk, and then until it went to voicemail.

Inuyasha frowned.

_ Maybe she was in the bathroom or something. _

So he dialed again.

Still no answer.

Inuyasha’s stomach dropped and he took off at a run toward her apartment building.

Something inside him, call it instinct, call it intuition,  _ something, _ told him that he needed to hurry.

He knocked on the door when he reached her apartment, but there was no answer.

“Kagome,” he called. “It’s me.”

A moment later, he heard footsteps cross the floor before the locks clicked.

When Kagome opened the door, her face was paler than he’d ever seen.

She looked  _ terrified _ .

“What happened?” he asked urgently.

Kagome shook her head as tears fell from her eyes.

“He found me,” she said, her voice breaking. Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he closed and locked the door behind him.

He reached out to pull her into his embrace, feeling her shoulders shake against him as she dissolved into sobs.

“What happened, baby?” he repeated.    


He barely made out the whisper she breathed about the bedroom window, so Inuyasha walked her over to the couch, putting the anpan down and making sure Kagome was comfortably seated before he went into her room.

He bristled when he saw the writing on the window.

Inuyasha walked over and opened the window, peering down at the ground below.

He didn’t see anyone down there, so he figured if Naraku had written it, he was long gone. The writing was in red lettering that reminded Inuyasha of blood, but the scent was that of simple paint. 

But it looked enough like blood to be understood as what it was: 

A warning.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and went into Kagome’s kitchen to grab some paper towels. He dampened them before going back into the bedroom and wiping the words off the window. When that was done, he tossed the paper towels into the trash and went to join Kagome on the couch again.

Her knees were pulled up to her chest as she sat on the couch, leaning her head against them. Inuyasha frowned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

“Are you sure it’s Naraku?” he asked gently.

Kagome nodded. “He used to call me ‘stupid girl’ when I would mess up during our training. I know it’s him.”

Inuyasha closed his eyes, trying to figure out what this could mean.

“So...now what?” he asked. “How do we...where do we go from here?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know.”

So Inuyasha just held her.

o.O.o

Kagome didn’t make omelettes that night. Inuyasha just ordered a pizza, hoping Kagome would at least eat something.

She hadn’t moved from the couch at all since Inuyasha had arrived, so the hanyo just grabbed the blanket from her bed and wrapped it around them, pulling her against his chest and trying to protect her from everything she was afraid of.

When the pizza arrived, Inuyasha got up from the couch, settling the blanket over Kagome before answering the door.

After he paid the tip, he got out two plates and set a slice of pizza on each. He put a kettle on the stove for tea and then brought the plates over to the couch.

“Pizza,” he said, handing a plate to Kagome.

She took it, at least, offering a murmur of gratitude before just staring down at the food.

“Try some,” he encouraged. “I got black olives on it for you.”

Kagome half-smiled before taking a bite. 

The kettle started whistling, so Inuyasha got up to prepare the tea. By the time he’d brought the two cups over, Kagome had finished her piece.

_ I wonder if she ate at all today,  _ he mused.

“I’ll get you another slice,” he said, handing her the cup of tea and taking her empty plate.

She thanked him when he brought her the second slice of pizza before she started eating it.

Inuyasha took a bite of his own pizza, keeping his attention on Kagome.

“Hey,” he said, gently bumping his knee against hers. “I have anpan, too, for whenever you want it.” Kagome nodded but didn’t reply.

When she finished her pizza, she sighed and leaned against Inuyasha, curling up against his side and tugging the blanket over him, too.

They were rather quiet for the rest of the night.

o.O.o

The next day, Kagome stayed in bed again while Inuyasha got ready to leave for the bakery.

In an effort to increase her mood, he smiled and pulled the blanket off of her.

Before she could protest, Inuyasha picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“Inuyasha, what are you doing?” she asked before dissolving into giggles. Inuyasha gave her bottom a gentle pat as he walked into the living room.

“I thought you’d make a nice scarf,” he said, feigning innocence. Kagome laughed and curved around to kiss his cheek, her lips only making it about halfway there.

Inuyasha finally set her down in front of the stove where he had a kettle going for tea.

She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s one way to get out of bed, I guess.”   


Inuyasha chuckled and leaned down to gently touch his forehead to hers. Her blue eyes were shining as she looked at him, momentarily distracting him from the mess all around them.

He would do anything, if only to have her look at him like that every day for the rest of their lives.

Kagome’s eyes turned sad before they finally drifted closed. She lay her head against his chest, hugging him close to her.

They broke apart when the kettle started to whistle. Inuyasha prepared the tea and poured a cup for Kagome, setting it on the counter so he could hug her again.

“I love you so much,” Kagome murmured, her voice catching a bit. 

“I love you, too,” Inuyasha replied, not liking how  _ sad _ her tone was.

When he started to ask, Kagome kissed him.

It was gentle and soft; Inuyasha’s hands came up to cup her cheeks, keeping the slide of their lips to mere caresses of skin on skin.

Inuyasha pulled back a few moments later and sighed.

“I’ll see you tonight.”   


Kagome nodded. “Okay.”   


She walked him to the door, kissing him a final time before he left.

There was something in her eyes as she closed the door behind him, something troubling.

In their time together, he’d learned to read her emotions. He knew her like he knew himself, and it was at the point that he felt like she knew him better than even  _ he _ did.

But the look in her eyes as he walked away...he couldn’t read it. He didn’t know  _ what _ it meant.

_ I’ll text her when I get to the bakery just to check in. I’m glad I got her laughing this morning, but she’s still not doing well...I just wish I knew how to help her more. _

o.O.o

Miroku was, of course, horrified to hear about the message from Naraku.

“It was on her bedroom  _ window?” _ he asked after Inuyasha explained what had happened the previous day.

“Yeah,” he confirmed as he started washing his hands. “So...it’s bad.” 

Miroku shook his head. “Man. What is she gonna do?”

Inuyasha sighed. “She quit her job because she was going to lie low, but apparently that didn’t work. I’m just...not really sure what we should do next.”

“Well, Naraku has made contact with her at her apartment,” Miroku started slowly. “Which means he knows where she lives...and most likely he knows about you, considering he didn’t leave the message until you were gone.”

_ Of course...it just keeps getting worse and worse. _

Inuyasha took a deep breath and rinsed the remaining soap off of his hands. “I just don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what to do.”

He grabbed a towel to dry his hands before putting an apron on. 

“I don’t think there’s anything you  _ can _ do,” Miroku pointed out gently. “This is...serious, Inuyasha. This is life or death.”   


Inuyasha huffed. “I know it is. That’s what I’m afraid of.”

It was a solemn day in the bakery.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome walked into her bedroom after Inuyasha left, intent on drinking her tea from the comfort of her bed until he returned, when she noticed movement by her window.

An aura flared from outside.

It was the one she’d been dreading.

It was Naraku.

At first, the flash of the aura was the one she remembered from when she was young, but then there was the flicker of a different one, the one from that single time he’d released the secret of his youkai power to her during a training session years ago.

The aura was there, and then it was gone.

Kagome waited a moment before walking over to her window, fear encroaching on her as she opened the curtains to find another message written on the glass.

_ “Run.” _

To be continued...


	29. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone. I've started helping my brother with school full-time for his last week of school, which requires my attention for most of the day. That being said, since this chapter was finished, I’m posting it today while I have time. Normal updates will resume on December 29th. 
> 
> This chapter is a little prequel of the bakery’s beginnings, as well as the mystery behind Izayoi’s murder. Chapter 30 will pick back up where chapter 28 left off.
> 
> I know it’s a prequel, but it’s a very important chapter to read because it gives a significant reveal. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 29: The Beginning**

“Now come on, baby, don't you wanna have a night well-spent with me?”

Izayoi frowned at the voice, turning around on the sidewalk to see a man and a woman standing together. 

The woman was frowning, obviously uncomfortable by the man’s attention. 

“No, thank you,” the woman said meekly. “I’m not--”

The man reached out to grip her arm. “Oh, come on, you sexy little thing. One night with me is all you--”

“Hey!” Izayoi shouted, walking over to the pair. “She said no, you pervert. Leave her alone.”

The man leered at Izayoi, giving a once-over and smirking. 

“Oh, I see. You want me to yourself, huh?” The man reached out to grope her, but Izayoi slapped his hand away. 

“Get out of here,” she replied menacingly. “Or that won't be the only thing I slap.”

Izayoi was a small young woman, only nineteen-years-old standing at just five-one, but the glare on her face and the glint in her eyes did the trick. 

The man walked away, grumbling under his breath. Izayoi turned to the woman he was bothering. 

“You okay?” she asked. The woman nodded.

“Yes, thank you so much. I could never...that was amazing.”

Izayoi smiled. “No problem. Have a good rest of your day.”

The woman smiled back and walked away. Izayoi turned around and continued on her trek to the grocery store, hoping to get there and back home before dark. 

“That was impressive,” a deep voice said from off to the side. 

Izayoi looked over and her eyes immediately widened. 

Standing there with a kind smile on his face and a gleaming brightness in his eyes, was the most  _ regal _ man she had ever seen. 

He was obviously a youkai, given his silver hair that was gathered in a high ponytail, golden eyes, and pointed ears. 

He was beautiful. 

“All in a day’s work,” Izayoi said, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. 

The youkai grinned, revealing a pair of fangs. “So you go around slapping perverts often?”

Izayoi shrugged. “When the situation arises, sure.”

Laughing, the youkai shook his head and reached out his hand. 

“My name is Toga,” he introduced. “And I would be more than honored to know yours.”

Izayoi blushed. “It’s Izayoi. Nice to meet you, Toga.”

When she took his hand, it was like everything she'd ever seen in a movie. 

It was a spark, a flash of the future, a zing right to the core of her heart. 

And she knew.

o.O.o

A week later, Izayoi was curled up on Toga’s couch, his large arms wrapped around her as they talked quietly.

They’d spent every evening together since they’d first met; their connection was mutual, as they’d admitted the second time they’d seen each other, so there was no need for hesitation.

He’d kissed her that same night, and it was a kiss Izayoi had only dreamed could be possible.

Izayoi nestled against his chest, breathing in his woodsy scent.

“People will judge,” Toga murmured. “I just...if you decide you’re sure about this, about  _ us,  _ then I need to warn you about it.”   


Izayoi shook her head against him. “I don’t care. Why should I?”

Toga sighed. “Because you’re young. Izayoi, I have a son. I’m...very old.” Izayoi laughed.

“Aw, old man,” she teased. “Stop, sweetheart. You only look thirty, tops.”   


Toga chuckled. “Still...it’s unavoidable. I just want you to be prepared for it. Have you told your mother?”   


Izayoi paused. “No,” she admitted. “But not because I’m ashamed of you. It’s just...she’s overprotective about men. She always has been.” Toga hummed.

“I’m probably her worst nightmare then,” he muttered.

Izayoi sat up and set her hand on his cheek, gently turning his head to face her.

“Hey,” she said softly. “You’re  _ my _ dream, so I don’t care.”   


Toga laughed. “That was lame, dearest.” Izayoi smiled.

“Well, it’s true,” she retorted. “So I don’t care what others think. I really don’t.”   


And she didn’t, but she still cried when her mother very explicitly told her she didn’t approve and subsequently kicked her out of the house.

Toga welcomed her into his home with open arms, hugging her until her tears faded and kissing her until the redness in her face was from a blush rather than sadness.

The youkai faced the same reaction from his own remaining family members, most of all from his son.

He was only twelve, but he lived with his mother, who was as close-minded as Izayoi’s mother.

One night, a month after they started dating, they were talking about anything but their families’ disapproval, and that’s when Toga asked her the question.

“What is your dream, dearest?” he asked as they lay in bed. “I know you said it was me, which is very sweet, but what is your  _ real _ dream?”

Izayoi smiled against his chest. “I want to open a bakery.”   


“A bakery?” Toga repeated. Izayoi nodded.

“Yes,” she replied. “I love baking. Is that silly?”   


Toga kissed her head. “Not all, Izayoi. I think that’s a wonderful thing. I want to make it happen for you.”   


Izayoi laughed lightly. “It won’t happen. It’s...too big of a dream.”

“Hey, now,” Toga chided kindly. “We met. That felt like too big of a dream. Anything else is nothing compared to that. Let’s open a bakery someday. Someday soon.”

Izayoi sat up to look at him. “Really?” Toga nodded.

“Of course,” he replied. “But on one condition.”   


Izayoi lay her head back down on his chest, smiling brightly. “And what is that, my love?”   


“Marry me.”

And three days later, she did.

o.O.o

Black, white, and silver mixed in the photo, the light reflecting off the colors of long hair and a dress, bringing smiles to a newlywed couple's faces. 

“You look beautiful in this photo, Izayoi,” Toga said before he kissed his wife. “But the picture doesn't do you justice to the real deal yesterday.”

Izayoi laughed and lightly swatted her husband’s chest. “Oh, hush.” 

She sat up in their bed and walked over to the small desk to grab her special fountain pen and flipped the photo over, writing their names and their wedding date to commemorate the milestone. 

It had been a simple courthouse wedding, with Izayoi in a white knee-length dress and Toga in a pair of black dress pants and a white button-up shirt.

Despite the marital bliss she’d had for the last day, Izayoi’s smile faltered. 

Her husband didn’t miss her shift in mood. He sat up in the bed and gazed at her, admiring the way her long, black hair cascaded down her back as it settled on the light pink nightgown she wore. 

“Come back to bed, dearest,” Toga requested softly. “There's no time to be sad.”

Izayoi turned around and half-smiled. “I'm sorry. It’s just…”

“Your mother,” Toga supplied, knowing where her mind had traveled. 

Izayoi nodded sadly. 

It was no secret that the disapproval of both their families was weighing heavily on her. 

“I'm very happy with you, Toga,” Izayoi said as she came back over to the bed. “And...I know our life together will be worth the sadness. Maybe my mother will come around someday.”

Toga reached out and pulled her over him and back to her spot in the bed. 

“I hope so, my love,” he replied, kissing her cheek. “If anything, we might be able to lure her in with the bakery.”

Izayoi laughed. “Maybe. I'm so excited about tomorrow. I hope the place looks as good in person as it does in photos.”

“Me, too,” Toga agreed, wrapping her in his arms. 

o.O.o

The place, unfortunately, did not look as good as it did in photos. 

They'd been searching for the perfect place to start up their bakery, but finding a good location for a decent price was proving to be rather difficult. 

The search was coming up on two months,  _ two months  _ of living in a hotel in the city to which they’d decided to move, trying to find a place to start up the bakery as well as to live.

And when Toga first scented Izayoi’s pregnancy a few weeks earlier, the search increased. 

They were lying in bed one night, Toga’s hand gently gliding over the barely-there swell of Izayoi’s stomach. 

“It'll be hard having a hanyo child,” Toga warned quietly. “I should have warned you before…”

Izayoi set her hand on top of his. “I know it'll be hard, but...we can do it. I can't wait to have this baby. Our life will be a beautiful one. And the bakery...well, the bakery can be our own little world, a perfect one we get to make for ourselves.”

Toga hummed. “We should name it Ukiyo.”

Izayoi frowned and looked at him. “You want to name the baby...Ukiyo?”

Toga chuckled. “No, I mean that's what we should name the bakery.”

“Ukiyo,” Izayoi murmured. “I love it, dear. I think it's perfect.”

o.O.o

Izayoi had just entered her second trimester when they finally found a place. 

“It’s perfect!” she squealed as they walked around the first floor. She settled her hand on the small bump in her stomach, smiling brightly. 

“It also has an apartment upstairs,” the realtor said, “for your…” She gave them a not-so-subtle judgmental glance. “...family.”

Normally, Izayoi wouldn’t waste a moment in calling out the realtor on her prejudice, but she was so happy and excited that she just silently ignored her, focusing instead on the life growing inside her and the future ahead of them.

“And it’s really close to where they have the Shikon Festival I read about,” Toga said. “That’ll be perfect once we can prep enough for it.”

Toga wrapped his arm around Izayoi and addressed the realtor. 

“We’ll take it.”

o.O.o

Several months and a hefty loan later, they got the bakery up and running. One night, several weeks after they’d opened, Izayoi went into labor and delivered a healthy baby boy with silver hair and dog ears.

“He’s so cute,” she cooed when the nurse handed him to her. “Toga, look at how beautiful he is. He looks just like you.”   


“Only my hair and eyes,” Toga replied, gently stroking his son’s cheek. “Everything else is you.”

“What should we name him?” she asked, smoothing down the wild hair her son already had.

“Inuyasha,” Toga supplied. Izayoi smiled.

“Perfect.”

o.O.o

Toga’s firstborn son came to live with them for a little while once Inuyasha was a bit older in an attempt for the two to get along.

But Sesshomaru was thirteen when Inuyasha was born and had no interest in a baby brother, so the living arrangements were short-lived. After only six months, he went with his mother when she announced her job was transferring her to Germany. 

It was no secret that Toga was devastated by Sesshomaru’s departure, so Izayoi did her best to comfort him.

“Maybe he’ll come visit,” Izayoi said a few days after Sesshomaru moved out as she spoon-fed Inuyasha some mashed peas. “This doesn’t mean he wants to cut ties completely, Toga.”

Toga sighed. “I’ll call him in a few days and check on him. I’m just glad the bakery has picked up. I don’t know what I would do if...well, that doesn’t matter.”

“Papa!” Inuyasha cooed, spitting out his mashed peas and giving a wide, fanged-smile to his father. 

Izayoi and Toga laughed. “Inuyasha,” Izayoi chided lightly. “Don’t spit out your food.” 

The young child giggled and clapped his hands together, eliciting more laughter from his parents.

o.O.o

Toga got sick a few years later.

He’d spent a week in a special youkai hospital, but the dreaded inu-youkai illness had overtaken his body too much.

Izayoi brought Inuyasha to the hospital only after confirming that inu-hanyo can’t get the illness. Sesshomaru couldn’t come because of how contagious it was between full-inu-youkai, so it left only Izayoi and Inuyasha with him.

The bakery was booming in business, and they’d managed to create a successful and well-known reputation throughout the city.

It was Toga and Izayoi’s pride and joy, only after Inuyasha.

Not wanting Inuyasha to be in the room when Toga passed for fear of scaring him, she allowed the father and son to hug goodbye before she settled Inuyasha with a nurse.

“I love you, Inuyasha,” Toga said before Inuyasha left the room. 

“Love you, Papa,” Inuyasha replied. 

The child was confused, but he allowed his father to hug him once more before being taken from the room by a nurse.

When Izayoi was left alone with Toga, she allowed her tears to finally fall.

“Oh, Toga,” she sobbed. “What are we going to do without you?”   


“You’ll live,” Toga said, his voice barely a whisper. “You’ll be happy in the bakery with each other...you’ll  _ live, _ Izayoi, okay?”

Izayoi nodded and crawled into the bed to curl up next to him.

“I love you,” she murmured.

“I love you, too,” Toga whispered.

When he finally passed only moments later, something shifted in Izayoi.

Her heart broke, and she wondered how she would be able to go on.

But then she left the hospital room and saw Inuyasha, and when he reached for her, a switch flipped.

She had suddenly become a mother and a widow at only twenty-four, but she also had a wonderful son and a thriving, successful bakery.

So she would mourn, and she would grieve, and she would  _ hurt, _ but she would be okay.

They both would be.

After Toga’s funeral, Izayoi was walking back to the bakery with Inuyasha, still clad in a black dress from the mournful event.

“Mommy?” Inuyasha said quietly, tugging on her hand. “Will you be sad forever?” His words made her freeze and look down at him.

She knelt in front of Inuyasha and tried to smile. “No, Inuyasha, my darling. I have you. That’s all I need from now on.” She hugged him tightly for a moment before letting go and standing back up.

“Now let’s go home,” she said as they continued walking. “We’ll make some cookies to cheer us up.”

o.O.o

The coming years were happy and relatively peaceful. The sadness in their lives came from the lack of contact with Sesshomaru, as well as the missing piece of Toga from their lives. Inuyasha was also bullied as a child, but Izayoi was grateful for the young boy, Miroku, he’d befriended after starting school. 

And when Inuyasha got accepted into an Architecture program at one of the most prestigious universities for the major, her pride only increased.

A few years into Inuyasha’s studies, they decided to make cookies as a late night snack. Inuyasha had just finished his finals and was excited for the coming break from school.

“We don’t have chocolate chips,” he complained. “We can’t have chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips.”

Izayoi smiled. “Oh, my poor boy. How will you go on without them?” She patted his cheek. “I’ll go to the store and buy some.”   


Inuyasha shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. I can go.” Izayoi waved him off.

“No, my darling,” she insisted. “It’s to celebrate your exams. I don’t mind going if you want to go ahead and get the cookie dough going so it’ll be ready when I get home.”

Inuyasha smiled. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” Izayoi grabbed her purse and headed toward the door.

“Don’t I know? I love you.”   


“Love you, too.”

Izayoi stepped out of the bakery and onto the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the grocery store. There was a convenience store a little closer, but she preferred the brand of chocolate chips at the store a bit farther away.

_ Hopefully Inuyasha can be patient that long! _

As Izayoi walked toward the store, she caught sight of a man and two women walking ahead of her. The two women were obviously walking together and the man was practically  _ lurking _ behind them.   


Izayoi frowned and sped up a bit, wanting to make sure the man didn’t try to pull anything funny business.

But when he ducked into an alley to avoid being seen when one of the women turned around, Izayoi knew he was bad news.

“Sango?” the older woman called when she noticed the younger one looking behind them. “Are you alright?”   


The younger woman frowned but turned back around, nodding at the older woman.    


“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, Mom.”

Once they’d resumed walking normally, the man popped out of the alley and continued following them. That’s when Izayoi had had enough.

“Excuse me?” she said loudly. The man jumped and turned around to face her.

A bout of fear went through Izayoi as she locked eyes with him.

His eyes were bright red, and they held the most  _ unnerving _ gleam she’d ever seen.

“What?” he asked. Izayoi glanced behind him at the women, hoping to distract him long enough for them to get a good distance away.

“If you’re going to be a pervert and stalk women,” she began firmly, “then at least be subtle about it, you disgusting man.” She glared at him. 

The man broke out into a smile. “Oh, so you saw that?”

Izayoi took a step back at his... _ creepy _ smile.

“I...as a matter of fact, I did,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. 

The man hummed. “Ah. Well, that’s a problem. I’m trying to keep a low profile here, and you’ve just become a liability.”

He glanced around before suddenly grabbing Izayoi’s arm and yanking her down the same alley he’d gone into a moment earlier.

“Let go of me!” she screamed before he clamped his hand down onto her mouth.

“Shut up,” he hissed. “Don’t struggle and maybe I’ll make this quick.”

When Izayoi saw the gun, her eyes widened.

_ No...I can’t leave Inuyasha! I have to-- _

Then the gun rang out, the man ran off, and Izayoi was dead.

O.o.O.o.O

Forty-five minutes after his mother left, Inuyasha was starting to get worried. It should’ve taken her no more than thirty minutes to get to the store, buy the chocolate chips, and come back home.

_ I have a bad feeling,  _ he mused as he stood up and put his shoes on. 

As he was lacing up his sneakers, he heard a knock from the bakery door. 

Dread began building up in his gut.

He shoved his feet in the shoes, not bothering to lace them properly, and rushed down the steps.

There were two police officers standing outside with solemn looks on their faces, and Inuyasha’s heart dropped.

“Are you Inuyasha Takahashi?” one of the officers asked when Inuyasha opened the door. “Izayoi Takahashi’s son?”   


Inuyasha nodded slowly. “Yes...why? What happened?”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Takahashi, but your mother has been killed.”

Inuyasha shut down as they spoke.

_ “Robbery gone wrong…” _ _   
_ _ “A single gunshot…” _

_ “Down an alley…” _

_ “Dead on arrival…” _

_ “Naraku…” _

On that day, something fundamental changed in Inuyasha. 

So he took over the bakery, Miroku moved in, and he tried to keep going despite the second gaping hole that had just formed in his life.

And that was that.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you guys for Chapter 30 coming December 29th!


	30. The Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I can’t take full credit for Sango being the connection between Izayoi and Naraku. 
> 
> It was my mom’s idea, so if you’re still sad about it, blame her lol.
> 
> This chapter starts with Kagome’s POV and picks up right where chapter 28 left off.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 30: The Decisions**

Kagome stared at the window for a moment before running into the kitchen to grab paper towels to clean it off.

She couldn't think, couldn’t  _ plan  _ if it was there. 

Once it was cleaned up, she took a deep breath, grabbed the blanket from her bed, and went to the couch, closing the bedroom door behind her. 

_ Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm… _

Her body betrayed her as her hands shook and tears began to fall from her eyes. The rapid pound of her heart echoed in her head, setting her brain on fire and causing a spiral into which she was falling deeply. 

“What do I do?” she whispered to herself. 

She knew what she needed to do, but she didn't want to do it.

But it was time. 

She needed to leave the city.

_ I told Inuyasha I wouldn’t leave him, and I’m  _ not.  _ I’m leaving Naraku and the threat he poses to  _ everyone  _ if I’m still here. _

She stood up and went to pack a bag, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

_ I should leave before Inuyasha comes back. I don’t know how I can ever say goodbye to him. _

As she started shoving clothes in her travel bag, she paused.

_ After everything he’s done for me, he doesn’t deserve that. I have to see him before I go. I can’t just leave without at least giving him a proper goodbye... _

So she continued packing her bag and tossed it on the floor by the loveseat before sitting down. She would wait for Inuyasha, hug and kiss him one last time until who knew when, and then she would leave.

But it was going to be hard.

O.o.O.o.O

Inuyasha closed up the bakery quickly before he made his way to Kagome’s apartment. He sent her a quick text letting her know he was on his way before picking up the pace.

He’d texted her periodically throughout the day and she’d responded each time, so he took it as a good sign. He was still eager to get back to her, though.

When he reached her apartment building, he hurried up the stairs and to her door. She answered a moment after he knocked, and he could tell something was wrong.

“Hey,” he greeted, pulling her into an embrace. “You doing okay?”

Kagome sighed against him and hugged him tightly before letting go. Her eyes were sad and full of dread.

“Let’s talk, honey,” she said before leading him over to the couch.

And that’s when he noticed the bag.

“Kagome,” he began, “what’s the bag for?”

Somehow, he knew what was going to happen. He just  _ knew. _

Kagome sat down on the couch and tried to get him to sit next to her, but Inuyasha was too worked up to sit down.

“Inuyasha, let me explain,” she begged.

Inuyasha shook his head. “Don’t... _ don’t _ leave.”

Kagome huffed and stood up. She set her hands on his cheeks, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

“You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” she said, her voice shaky. “You’re kind and supportive and thoughtful...I never thought I could ever meet someone like you, let alone  _ love _ and  _ be _ loved by someone so wonderful. I don't think I can ever express in words how much I've appreciated everything you've done for me.” She shook her head. 

“I could be selfish and stay with you because leaving is the last thing I want to do, but I would hate myself if something happened to you, Inuyasha. I can’t risk it.”   


Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

“You don’t need to leave,” he argued softly. “Just...let me help you figure something out. We’ve come this far together.”

“You have to just let me go,” Kagome murmured as she dropped her hands from his cheeks and tried to move away from Inuyasha.

“ _ No, _ ” Inuyasha countered, panic rising in his voice as his arms tightened around her. He smelled Kagome’s tears before he saw them.

“Inuyasha,” she began, “Naraku is  _ here _ . He  _ knows _ where I am. He left another note on my window this morning after you left. It’s too  _ late _ for any other sort of plan! This is the only thing left that I can do!” Kagome’s voice cracked on the last word, and that was when she finally looked up at Inuyasha.

She reached up one of her hands to gently cup his cheek again. Inuyasha’s gaze bore into her as he leaned his face against her palm.

“You’re the love of my life, Kagome,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact. “You’re worth _every_ _single_ risk. Just… _please_ stay. _Please_ let me protect you.” He felt Kagome’s hand tremble against his cheek, and it only fueled the fire he had for her deep in his heart.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome impossibly closer, all while moving one hand into her hair, and kissed her. Kagome’s arms soon moved around his neck.

Inuyasha kissed her with a desperation of which he didn’t think he was capable, and Kagome kissed him back just as fervently.

Inuyasha could feel it in her kiss. 

She was saying goodbye.

But he wasn't ready for that. 

Not yet. 

He picked her up, crushing her body against his as he walked over to the loveseat. She gasped when her back hit the cushions, but Inuyasha muffled the sound with his mouth. 

He kissed her deeply, fervently, and filled it with everything he wanted to say in that moment but knew he didn't have enough time to say. 

Kagome soon wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, sinking into the kiss as Inuyasha settled himself against her. 

Her scent and power hit Inuyasha all at once as she released her aura, nearly pulling all the breath from his lungs.

_ How long has it been since I’ve smelled her? And felt her power? Too long… _

His hands were everywhere as he touched her, trying to commit her body to his memory. 

Kagome did the same, her breathing ragged and she pulled Inuyasha closer, and the sounds coming from her had Inuyasha kissing her deeper, clutching her closer.

It wasn't until he felt wetness on his cheeks that he finally parted from her. 

When he looked down at her, Kagome's eyes were raining silent tears. She tugged on him, pulling him down to her again. 

Inuyasha buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent, wondering how he was supposed to go even  _ one _ day without her.

“This isn’t me leaving forever,” she murmured. “It’s just for a little while.” Inuyasha squeezed her tighter.

“That doesn’t make it easier,” he replied softly. Kagome’s hands migrated up to his ears and rubbed them gently.

“I know.”

They lay there for a long time, until Kagome finally released his ears and gently pushed Inuyasha off of her.

“I need to go,” she said as she got up from the couch.

Inuyasha reluctantly rose with her and frowned as she grabbed the bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“I’ll try to contact you when I can,” she said, adjusting the bag so it rested comfortably. “I promise.” She looked up at him. “I need you to trust me on this. This is only a temporary goodbye, okay?” 

Inuyasha, to his surprise, felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he held them back, vowing to be strong for Kagome. 

“Okay,” he finally said. “Do you have my number memorized?” At Kagome's nod; he sighed and hugged her tightly again. 

“I hate this,” he muttered into her hair. “I would go with you if I could.”

“I hate this, too,” she admitted. “But I have to do it.”

“What did the second message on your window say?” Inuyasha asked.

Kagome let go of him and frowned. “It said ‘run,’” she replied. “So...that’s what I’m doing. I think he wants me away from here, away from Sango mostly. I’m going to call her on my way before I disconnect my cell phone, so my phone won’t work by the time I get to...wherever I wind up going. I just need to get out of here. Can you tell Miroku I said goodbye?”

Inuyasha nodded and felt a third gaping hole start to form in his heart.   


First his father, then his mother, and now...Kagome.

“What about all of your other stuff?” Inuyasha asked, realizing she was leaving with just a single bag.

Kagome winced sheepishly. “Uh, I’m leaving kind of irresponsibly. I’ve already paid rent for this last month, but I don’t have time to get all my furniture and dishes out, so the landlord is gonna hate me but this is desperation at its finest.”

Kagome left her key on the coffee table before leading Inuyasha out of the apartment. 

When the door was closed behind them, she took a deep breath. 

“We should leave separately,” she murmured. “Just in case.”

Inuyasha nodded, leaning down to hug and kiss her once more.

“I love you,” he murmured before letting her go.

Kagome tried to muster up a smile. “I love you, too. I’ll call you when I can.”

Inuyasha nodded and left, feeling something hard and unpleasant settle in the pit of his stomach.

It felt so  _ wrong _ to leave her behind, but he needed to trust her judgment. 

He went back to the bakery, walking slowly to try and put off the conversation he would need to have with Miroku for as long as possible.

When he finally got home, he unlocked the door and closed it, locking it behind him before going upstairs.

Miroku was sitting on the couch when Inuyasha walked in.

“Whoa,” Miroku said immediately. “What happened, Inuyasha? You look awful.”

Inuyasha took a deep breath before coming over to sit on the couch next to him.

“Kagome is gone.”   


Miroku’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Naraku contacted her at her apartment,” Inuyasha explained.  _ “Twice. _ So...she left. She wanted me to tell you goodbye and explain. With Naraku knowing she’s in the city and where she lives, she said it was time for her to go.”   


Miroku shook his head. “Man...so did you guys break up?”

Inuyasha winced. “No, we’re still...together, even though we’re going to be apart for awhile. She’s going to call when she can, but until then...she’s gone.”

Miroku patted Inuyasha’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

Inuyasha sighed. “I--”

Miroku’s phone rang, and when Sango’s face showed up on the screen, they both grimaced.

“Hey, sweetie,” Miroku greeted.

Inuyasha could hear her cries from where he was seated next to him.

“Oh, Sango…” Miroku soothed. “Do you want to come over? We can all talk...yeah, Inuyasha is here. He knows what happened.”

After a few more moments of them talking, they ended the call.

“Sango is coming over,” he explained. He paused. “Is that okay? I should’ve asked you first.”   


Inuyasha nodded. “Of course. She loves Kagome as much as I do.”

o.O.o

Sango was a wreck the whole night.

“I finally see her again after six years,” she said through her tears, “and then she just has to leave? I’m gonna  _ kill _ Naraku if I ever see him again.”

She set a hand on Inuyasha’s knee from where she was seated on the couch between him and Miroku.

“Are you alright, Inuyasha?” she asked. “I didn’t even ask.”

Inuyasha half-shrugged. “I understand why she left. I hate it, but I understand.”   


Sango sighed. “I guess I do, too. It’s just...it’s so  _ hard.” _

It was a long night, and it ended with the three of them falling asleep in a pile on the couch, the extra comfort needed and warranted.

And as Inuyasha drifted off to sleep, a tear snuck out from the corner of his eye.

_ Kagome... _

o.O.o.

When Inuyasha’s alarm went off at six-thirty, he was already awake.

For the last four days since Kagome left, he wouldn’t fall asleep until late into the night, only to wake up a mere few hours later when the sun wasn’t even  _ close _ to rising.

He still hadn’t heard anything from her, and the wait was slowly eating away at him. The only thing that helped was baking and punching dough.

Old ways, old habits, that kind of thing.

The bakery had a plethora of goods since Inuyasha was throwing himself into baking, so they’d been left with a surplus that was slowly filling up the displays.

Inuyasha rolled over in his bed and groaned into his pillow.

_ Maybe I can just stay in bed today...it’s not like I even need to bake anymore stuff since I’ve been making so much since she left. _

By the time eight-fifteen rolled around, a knock came on his bedroom door.

“Yeah?” he called.

Miroku opened the door and peaked in, frowning when he saw Inuyasha.

“Hey,” he greeted. “You alright?”

Inuyasha huffed. “No. I’ll get up soon.”   


“Can I do anything?” Miroku asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

“No, it’s okay,” he replied. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”   


Once Miroku was gone, Inuyasha took a deep breath and got up. He padded into the bathroom, showered, and got dressed before walking into the kitchen.

Miroku was already sitting at the table munching on a piece of bacon.    


“I made pancakes,” he said. Inuyasha nodded.

“Thanks,” he replied. He grabbed a plate and put a pancake on it, his appetite nonexistent but not wanting to turn away the kind gesture from Miroku.

After he’d eaten, he grabbed his plate and Miroku’s and washed them in the sink. 

“Any word from Kagome?” Miroku asked gently. Inuyasha shook his head as he dried and put away the dishes.

“Not yet,” he replied. “I didn’t think it would be this long…”

_ I’m worried. I figured she would call within a few hours, but this is the fourth  _ day _ she’s been gone. _

He took a deep breath and made his way to the stairs.

“I’m heading down now,” he said as he went into the bakery kitchen.

o.O.o

Several hours later, Inuyasha’s phone rang.

It was an unknown number, so he quickly answered it, hoping with his entire being that it was Kagome.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Inuyasha, it’s me.”

Inuyasha nearly fell to his knees in relief at the sound of Kagome’s voice.

“Are you okay, baby?” he asked. “I’ve been going crazy waiting to hear from you.”   


“I’m sorry,” she replied. “I wanted to get a safe distance away and it was hard to find a payphone that’s actually still in order.”   


“Where are you, Kagome?” Inuyasha pressed. “How far did you go?”

Kagome paused. “I’m far enough. I don’t want to say where I am exactly...just in case.”

_ Add that to the list of things I hate about this entire situation... _

“Okay,” he conceded. “Are you safe? Do you have a place to stay and stuff to eat?”   


“Yes,” she assured him. “I found a hotel I’m going to check into soon and I have enough money for that and food until I can find a job here.”   


“What?” Inuyasha asked, dumbfounded. “You’re already looking for a job in the new place?”

Kagome sighed. “Honey, I’ve been doing this for five years. This is just another move in a long list of moves, but...it’s harder this time. I’ve never had to leave someone behind.”

Inuyasha stifled the sigh he was very close to heaving.

_ How long will it be like this? I’ll wait for her forever, but...this is going to be harder than I thought. _

“You still there?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha replied. “I’m still here. I want you to be safe, okay? Don’t walk anywhere at night. I’m not...I’m not there to walk with you anymore.”

Kagome hummed. “I will.” She laughed lightly. “Remember the first night you walked me home? You practically yelled at me for walking home alone at night.”   


Inuyasha couldn’t help the smile that came to his face. “I remember. I was pretty smooth, huh?”   


Kagome laughed again. “Sure...and then there was the whole ‘your hand looks cold’ when you really just wanted to hold my hand.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Like I said. I was pretty smooth.”

“Hook, line, and sinker,” Kagome teased. “And, man, did you hook me.”   


Inuyasha smiled and went to sit down at the table.

“Do you want me to tell Sango you’re okay?” Inuyasha asked. 

“No, I’ll call her next,” Kagome replied. “I’m worried about her. Was she okay when I left?”   


Inuyasha winced. “No, it was really bad. I think she’s a little better now, though. Miroku said she hasn’t been crying as much anymore.”   


“I feel so horrible about that,” Kagome murmured. “Hopefully she’ll feel better when I call.”

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair. “I bet she will. I know I do. I miss you so much already.”

“I miss you, too, honey,” she replied. “I should go now, though. It’s almost check-in at the hotel and I still need to call Sango.”   


“Okay, baby,” Inuyasha said reluctantly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she replied. “Bye.”   


“Bye.”

Inuyasha set the phone on the table after ending the call and took a deep breath.

_ What’s going to happen next?  _ he wondered.  _ As long as Naraku is around, Kagome can’t _ live.  _ We can’t...nothing else can happen. _

He narrowed his brows and stood up, mind racing.

Kagome had made a decision, and now he would, too.

_ It’s time to catch a killer. _

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since I started this story, Kagome leaving was always going to happen. 
> 
> We’re quite rapidly approaching the end of this story. It’s really crazy to think that a 2,000 word chapter I posted two years ago that literally just sat abandoned for almost all of those two years would grow into this but here we are.
> 
> I’ve seen some good theories about where this story is going, but I think you’ll be surprised.


	31. The Bargain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence
> 
> *sweats profusely*
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 31: The Bargain**

Inuyasha was antsy for the rest of the week.

His mind had been racing with ideas on how to go about finding Naraku. He was hoping to receive another phone call from Kagome before he put his plan into action, but he hadn’t heard from her.

_ It’s fine,  _ he mused.  _ I’ll see her soon enough. Once this is over, everything will be as it should. _

And,  _ man, _ did he have plans for himself and Kagome.

He was kneading dough a bit harder than usual as his thoughts spiraled into the future, as they had been for what felt like  _ months. _

Which, he supposed, was true given Kagome’s presence in his life.

He was so lost in thought that when Miroku peeked into the kitchen to ask him if he wanted to order take-out for lunch, Inuyasha jumped and dropped the entire mound of dough he’d been kneading.

“Sorry, Inuyasha,” Miroku said immediately. “Are you okay? You seem...edgy.”

Inuyasha sighed and bent down to pick up the dough and toss it into the trash.

“I’m fine,” he replied as he pulled out the ingredients he needed to start a new batch of dough. “I’m just...thinking about Kagome.”

Miroku hummed. “I’m sorry. Maybe lunch will help? What are you in the mood for?”

Inuyasha closed his eyes for a moment. “I’ll cook. I’m making new dough anyway. You good with pasta? Maybe fettuccine alfredo?”

The ache was only getting worse.

“Sure,” Miroku said with a sympathetic smile. “We’ve got so much extra stuff. I don’t even think you need to bake anything else today.”   


Inuyasha shrugged and resumed what he was now going to use as dough for the pasta.

“I probably will anyway,” he replied. “Gives me something to do.”   


“And some dough to punch,” Miroku added. Inuyasha couldn’t hide his amusement.

“And some dough to punch,” he echoed.

After Miroku went back out to the store, Inuyasha grabbed eggs, oil, and salt to go with the flour he would be using for the pasta.

It would be the first time in a while that he would be eating the fettuccine alfredo without Kagome, but it was nice to think about the memories that came with the meal.

_ “You have a really nice smile…” _

That was when Kagome had really started to etch herself onto his heart. His mother had been the only one to ever mention his smile, and Kagome was the first to say it since Izayoi died.

Blue eyes illuminated his mind as he got the pasta ready to boil. After he put it in the pot, he grabbed the alfredo sauce from one of the cabinets and poured it in a pan to heat up.

It kept his mind occupied and focused on the memory of the time he’d cooked for her, and then his mind drifted to the first time they’d hugged and then held hands and finally kissed.

And even though he was alone, he blushed a little at all of the pleasant memories.

_ How long will it be before we can do all that again?  _ he wondered as he drained the pasta after it was finished boiling.  _ How much longer do we have to be apart? _

He didn’t have an answer.

But at least he had pasta. 

o.O.o

After a few more sleepless nights, Inuyasha finally had a plan.

It was dangerous, and deadly, and honestly terrifying, but Inuyasha was desperate.

He was going to hunt down Naraku.

Inuyasha hadn’t told Miroku or Sango his plan for fear they would want to get involved, so he waited until the weekend to put it into action.

_ I don’t even know where to start, though...maybe I could go to Kagome’s apartment. Maybe Naraku will show up...it’s possible he doesn’t know she left. _

With Kagome in another place out of harm’s way, Inuyasha wasn’t afraid.

He would take down Naraku for Kagome, for Sango, and for his mom.

Inuyasha tossed on a black sweatshirt and put the hood up, concealing his ears and hair from sight. He slipped on sunglasses, too, despite the darkened evening to cover the gold of his irises.

If Naraku were to see him and recognize him, his plan would be over before he could even start it. 

Inuyasha hurried to Kagome’s apartment building and rushed up the stairs until he reached her door. It was locked, but he managed to work his claw into the lock and flip it, allowing him to get inside.

Once inside, he paused.

Kagome’s scent, although obviously old, was still heavy in the apartment. 

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the aroma of Kagome wash over him.

_ I miss her… _

It only fueled his fire.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, closed the apartment door and didn’t bother locking it. Finally, he went into Kagome’s bedroom and got in her bed, leaving his hood up and laying down with his back to the window, hoping to trick Naraku into thinking it was her so he would leave another note. She’d taken her blankets with her, so Inuyasha curled up in an attempt to seem smaller.

It was already rather late, so it wouldn’t look odd that he was already in the bed. 

_ Naraku probably won’t expect me to be there. If he’s watching her apartment, he wouldn’t have realized I went there because I covered up my features. He’ll think Kagome is there alone for the night, which works out well. _

As he lay there, he tried to think of the best way to ambush Naraku and hopefully catch him by surprise.

_ He’s already gonna think I’m Kagome, _ Inuyasha mused.  _ So when I get up in the morning, he’ll think she’s just going to use the bathroom or get something to eat in the kitchen. Then if he tries to leave another note, I’ll be able to catch him by surprise. _

He stayed awake all night, unable to fall asleep as he waited for the morning sun to rise.

About an hour after the sun rose, he got up, unlocked Kagome’s window, and walked into the living room to stand right outside the bedroom, ready to put his plan into action.

Sure enough, a moment after he stepped outside the bedroom, Inuyasha heard something at the window.

He took a deep breath and burst back into the room, hoping to catch Naraku off-guard and introduce him to his claws.

No such luck.

The window was already open, and Naraku was half-inside the room when Inuyasha realized what was happening.

“Did you really think you could fool me?” Naraku asked menacingly. “From one hanyo to another, I must say I’m disappointed in your stupidity. You’re a disgrace to the youkai blood that runs through your veins.”

A shiver went up Inuyasha’s spine; he’d never heard Naraku speak before, and he was horrified that Kagome had to suffer through his instruction every day.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

But then his words registered…

_ Hanyo? _

Naraku was grinning evilly before he pulled a knife from his sleeve and lunged at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn’t have time to react before Naraku landed a hit, stabbing him deeply in the stomach.

Inuyasha gasped at the hot flash of pain.

Stumbling backward, he tripped on the bed as Naraku came at him again.

Feeling the knife stab him once more, Naraku shoved Inuyasha to the ground.

Head colliding roughly with the floor, Inuyasha fell limp and everything went black.

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome lounged on the bed in her hotel room, flipping through the TV channels as she waited to hear from a local convenience store about a job opening.

She was hoping to start working as quickly as possible; she had money saved up, but it definitely wouldn’t last forever. 

Her thoughts, as usual, drifted to Inuyasha, as well as Sango and the life she’d left behind.

She could only pray that her leaving would keep them safe; if something happened to them, Kagome didn’t know how she would live with herself. She’d disconnected her phone before leaving the city, so she’d given the local store the number for her hotel room, but she would need to go to the payphone nearby to call Inuyasha.

_ Is it too soon to call again?  _ she wondered.  _ It’s been a few days...I think it would be okay. It’s Saturday, so he’ll probably have more time to talk. _

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was mid-afternoon. Inuyasha might have been eating lunch, so Kagome got up from her bed, grabbing her room key and some change before leaving the hotel room.

She walked the short way to the payphone and pulled out her spare change. Dialing Inuyasha’s number, she smiled to herself, already feeling butterflies in her stomach as she waited for him to pick up.

When the phone rang four times, Kagome’s smile began to fade. After the sixth ring, she began to worry.

_ “It’s Inuyasha. Text me instead. I hate answering the phone.” _

The recording for his voicemail echoed in her ear, so Kagome hung up, put more change in, and dialed again.

That time, the phone rang twice before Inuyasha picked up.

But...he didn’t say anything.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome said hesitantly. “Are you okay, honey?”

A soft laugh came from the other line.

“Oh, Kagome. If you only knew the state he’s in.”   


Kagome’s eyes widened and gasp tore from her throat at the sound of the voice that haunted her every nightmare.

“Naraku!” she shrieked. “What did you do to him? Where is he?”

Naraku laughed again. “Let’s just say he’s a bit predisposed at the moment. He adamantly refused to tell me where you are, so I had to use some rather...unconventional methods to get it out of him. Congratulations, though. He’s quite loyal. What was it he kept saying? ‘I’ll tell you over my dead body?’” 

Naraku chuckled. “That could be arranged…”   


“He doesn’t know where I am,” Kagome replied. “I didn’t tell him. Now leave him alone!”

“I suppose you want him to die then, hm?” Naraku asked. “I will have what I want from you.”   


“What do you want?” Kagome said, ignoring his question, her voice rising in panic. “I won’t go to the police! I won’t report you, I swear. Just leave Inuyasha alone!”

Naraku scoffed. “Oh, you stupid girl. So simple-minded. I need  _ you,  _ actually. I certainly am glad you heeded my message. I needed to get you away from this pathetic hanyo so I could take care of him before coming for you. Sango is next.”   


_ “No!”  _ Kagome cried. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just leave them both alone!”

Naraku hummed. “Would you exchange yourself for them? You’re the only one I truly need.”   


“Yes,” Kagome replied immediately. “I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt them.”   


Kagome heard quiet groaning from the other line as well as a pained call of her name.

“Inuyasha?” she said. “Can you hear me?”   


“No, Kagome! Don’t listen to him! He’s a han--”   


A shout of pain came from him before Inuyasha fell silent again.

“My, my,” Naraku cooed. “He is a feisty one. Can you believe it took two stabs to get him down?”

Kagome felt tears running down her cheeks. “You  _ stabbed  _ him? Stop! Where do I need to meet you?”

“Meet me at the sight of your shrine,” Naraku informed her. “Tonight. If you don’t show up, Inuyasha and Sango will die. Are we clear?”

“Yes,” Kagome whispered, and then Naraku hung up.

Kagome released a choked sob as she dropped the payphone receiver and ran back to the hotel. She needed to pack up and book the next bus back to the old shrine.

_ I didn’t think I would ever go back home,  _ she said as she used the hotel’s computer to book a ticket before packing up her stuff.  _ But this is life or death. I’m bargaining with the devil. _

She found a bus that would leave within the hour and nearly lost her mind when the cost of the ticket was almost the entire amount of money she had saved up. 

After she booked the ticket, she saw that she would get to the bus station that was closest to the shrine at eight that night. 

_ Why does Naraku want me to meet him at the shrine?  _ she wondered.  _ What could he possibly want there? _

There was no time for her to question anything. She just needed to  _ get _ there.

She rushed to the bus station, nerves shot, as she waited for the bus to come.

_ Just hang on, Inuyasha. I’ll save you. _

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sweats even more profusely*


	32. The Shrine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence
> 
> In this chapter, we will see the brain mess that I developed through an awesome suggestion by NeutronStarchild. Thanks again, Neutron! :)
> 
> After this chapter, we only have three more! I wanted to cap this story at 35 chapters, and I’m super grateful that it panned out for that to happen. I’m sad it’s ending, but I’m so excited for you all to see how it ends.
> 
> The story is completely finished; I’ve got it all written, so the only thing that’s left is to finish editing and get it posted!
> 
> GAH, I’M SO EXCITED.
> 
> LIKE WTF I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY ALMOST OVER.
> 
> Okay, enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 32: The Shrine**

Inuyasha groaned as he rolled over on the floor.

The scent of blood assaulted his nose, making his stomach lurch and a bit more blood spurt from his injuries.

Naraku had stabbed him three times in Kagome’s bedroom, and they were all rather deep. 

Naraku’s intent had obviously been to kill.

There was one in his stomach, one in his chest that had just narrowly missed his heart, and another in his thigh that Naraku had delivered right before he left to keep Inuyasha from following him, as the evil youkai had said.

_ Not quite a youkai...he’s a  _ hanyo. _ Naraku is a hanyo. _ .. _ just like me. _

Inuyasha shook his head and tried to sit up from where he was sprawled on the floor. Naraku was  _ not _ just like him.  _ Naraku _ was the one who was a disgrace to the youkai blood in his veins.

Inuyasha groaned again as he finally managed to sit up. He cursed himself, hating that Naraku had managed to outsmart him. His plan had been a solid one, but Naraku was one step ahead of him. 

_ Where’s my phone?  _ he wondered as he looked around.  _ I need to call Miroku. _

He cursed out loud when he saw his phone a few feet away from him, smashed to bits. He figured Naraku had done it before he left in an attempt to keep Inuyasha from contacting anyone.

_ I have to get up, no matter how painful it is. _

Inuyasha grit his teeth, knowing that if he’d been a human, he would have died from blood loss. Even now, his head was spinning, but he forced himself to get up.

He stumbled into the bathroom, hoping to clean up before leaving Kagome’s apartment to go home and...then what? What would come next?

His eyes widened.  _ Sango! She grew up at the shrine. I’ll ask her and go meet Kagome and Naraku there. _

First thing was first: he needed to clean up all of the blood.

Looking in the mirror, Inuyasha grimaced. His sweatshirt was black, so it managed to hide the blood, but he could still see some of it on his neck and feel it on his skin.

He grabbed a towel Kagome had left behind and wiped down the exposed parts of his skin that were marred by blood spots.

When that was done, he pulled down his blood-stained jeans to his knees and wiped his thigh, wincing the whole time from how much everything  _ hurt. _

He hurried into Kagome’s room, hoping she’d left behind the spare clothes he’d left there.

A pair of jeans was there but no shirt; apparently she had taken it with her.

He frowned and put on the jeans, wrinkling his nose as the scent of blood lingered on his clothing. He would just have to deal with it and hope he didn’t walk past any other youkai on his way home.

He ran from Kagome’s apartment and headed toward the bakery, moving as quickly as his injuries would let him.

When he reached Ukiyo, he burst through the door and ran upstairs where Miroku and Sango were curled up on the couch.

Upon seeing him, their eyes widened. 

“What happened?” Miroku asked. “I tried to call you earlier. Are you okay?”

The adrenaline finally leaving his body, Inuyasha fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he felt more blood begin to seep through his jeans.

“Inuyasha!” they both cried, standing and coming over to them.

When they touched him, helping him sit up and their hands came back covered in blood, Sango stood up.

“Do you have a first-aid kit?” she asked.

“Bathroom,” Miroku replied, putting Inuyasha’s arm around his shoulder and helping him rise and slowly walk over to sit on the couch. Sango disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before coming to kneel in front of Inuyasha.

“Where are you hurt?” she asked.

“Chest,” he croaked. “Stomach. Thigh.”   


Sango nodded and helped pull his sweatshirt and t-shirt off. Miroku gasped.

“What happened?” he demanded. “Who did this to you?”

As Sango began to clean his wounds, Inuyasha closed his eyes.

“Naraku,” he replied.

“What?” Miroku asked. “How... _ what?” _

“Miroku, give him a minute,” Sango chided lightly. “Can you get him a clean shirt, clean pants, and a glass of water? Man, Inuyasha. If you weren’t a hanyo, this would have killed you.”

Inuyasha winced as she worked on his injuries, her nursing skills coming in handy as she bandaged him up.

Miroku walked into Inuyasha’s bedroom to get the clothing before getting a glass of water from the kitchen. When he returned, he put the clothes next to Inuyasha and handed him the glass of water.   


Inuyasha opened his eyes and took the glass, thanking Miroku before downing the water.

It took a little while, but Sango managed to get him patched up. 

“I need to look at your thigh now,” she said gently as Inuyasha put on the clean shirt. Inuyasha nodded, in too much pain and too worried about Kagome to care about modesty, and allowed Sango to help him take off his shoes and slide off his jeans, leaving him clad in his shirt and boxers.

He lifted the fabric up to reveal the stab on his thigh, and Sango immediately got to work.

When he was finally bandaged up, Sango handed him the clean pants and he put them on, feeling better now that he wasn’t bleeding freely.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Sango asked, her tone still gentle.

Inuyasha grimaced and nodded before telling them about the confrontation he’d had with Naraku at Kagome’s apartment.

“You _ idiot!” _ Miroku shouted. “What were you thinking?” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I thought I could handle it, but...I couldn’t. We need to go after Naraku. He wants something from Kagome, but he didn’t say what it is. And he’s a  _ hanyo.  _ Something about this just isn’t adding up.”   


“Let’s go,” Sango replied immediately. “I remember how to get to the shrine. We can take my mom’s car. And I know this is bad, but I still remember my taijiya training. I can help take him out.”

“Sango...” Miroku began.

“Oh, stop,” Sango replied. “I’m going and you can’t keep me from it. This is as much my problem as it is Inuyasha and Kagome’s. Let me call my mom and see if we can take her car.” Sango grabbed her phone and got up to go to the kitchen to make the call.

When Miroku and Inuyasha were alone, Miroku looked at him and frowned.

“Seriously, what were you thinking?” he asked. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I wanted to protect Kagome. That was the only thing I was thinking of.”   


“I would have helped you come up with something smarter,” Miroku replied. Inuyasha sighed and stood up.

“What’s done is done,” the hanyo said. Miroku obviously seemed displeased, but before he could argue further, Sango returned to the living room.

“My mom said we can take her car,” Sango informed him. “My apartment is ten minutes away. Let’s hurry.”

They all put their shoes on before going downstairs and leaving the bakery. When they reached Sango’s apartment, Miroku and Inuyasha waited by the car while Sango went to get the keys from her mother.

After she returned, they got in the car and Sango sped off, getting onto the nearest highway and driving as quickly as possible.

“How far away is it?” Inuyasha asked from the backseat.

“A few hours,” Sango replied. “What are we going to do when we get there?”

“We need to find Kagome first,” Inuyasha said. “I don’t know what Naraku is planning to do with her so we just need to...get to her. Are there going to be people there?”   


Sango shook her head. “No, they’re all gone. After the fire, everyone in the community dispersed. Last time I checked, it had been completely abandoned.”

Inuyasha nodded, more than a little relieved that there wouldn’t be anyone other than Naraku trying to kill him.

_ I’ve never been to a spiritual community before,  _ Inuyasha mused, his attention turning to the road outside his window.  _ I never thought I would go to one, let alone the one where Kagome grew up. _ He frowned. 

“Sango,” Inuyasha began, “why do you think Naraku wanted to meet Kagome at the old shrine?”

“I have no idea,” Sango admitted. “Maybe he just wanted to try and kill her in the same place he killed her other family. It’s secluded, too. No one would ever find them there.”   


“And we still don’t know why he killed her family in the first place,” Inuyasha pointed out. “Kagome just said she knew he was out for her family from the start. Do you have any idea why?”   


Sango shook her head. “We never figured out why.”

Inuyasha frowned and leaned back in his seat as they fell into silence.

It felt like the hours dragged on as Sango drove, but when she got off the highway and turned down a backroad, Inuyasha set his attention on the sights in front of them.

It was late, and the sky had become completely dark, which only made the scenery more daunting.

The backroad soon turned into a dirt road that led into an eerie forest.

The cover of the trees made everything darker, and Inuyasha felt a fierce sense of dread come over him.

_ I’m coming, Kagome. Just wait until I get there. _

O.o.O.o.O

As soon as the bus stopped at the station, Kagome grabbed her bag and jumped off to hurry in the direction of the shrine. 

The sun was fading quickly, so she used what light was left to run in the direction of the shrine. 

As a child, she and Sango used to race to that bus station to go into the nearby city to buy groceries for their mothers. They could only go once a week, but it had been enough for her to know the road that led to her shrine like the back of her hand.

She pushed herself to run faster, only increasing her speed when she reached the dirt road that indicated she was nearing the community.

When she caught sight of it, she froze, eyes wide, as she took in the sight before her.

Everything was empty.

She saw the old school building and the few houses that belonged to the families that lived there.

The whole community was very obviously abandoned, and Kagome briefly recalled when it had been filled with people milling around in traditional Shinto clothing or children playing on the small playground on the edge of the community.

And finally, off in the distance, Kagome could see the ruins of her old home.

The sight hurt, but she grit her teeth and walked forward, knowing that’s where she would find Naraku.

She felt his aura flare from that direction, so she took a deep breath and kept going, allowing her aura to flow free, flaring it so Naraku could feel her responding to his appearance. 

When she reached her old house, she couldn’t see him, but she knew he was there.

“Naraku,” she called. “I’m here.”

“Wonderful,” he announced as he emerged from the ruins of the house. “Ever since you slipped from my grasp after the fire and I was nearly caught for slaying your dishonorable family, I have been waiting for this moment.”

He stepped forward, grinning evilly.

Kagome held her head high and pulled the bag off of her shoulder, setting it on the dirt as she stood her ground against him.

“What do you want?” she asked firmly. “What is this moment you’ve been waiting for? What do you need with me? Why did you kill my family in the first place?”

“So many questions, stupid girl,” he replied, his grin fading. “All of you spiritual people are the same. I thought it was your family that had what I wanted, but when I infiltrated your home, I couldn’t find it.” His smile returned. “But now I am grateful for your survival. It wasn’t your family I needed. It was just _ you.” _

Kagome’s eyes widened. “What do you need me for?”

Naraku smiled. “First, I’m going to tell you a story about a young boy who grew up in a spiritual community much like this one once was.”   


Kagome frowned, uncertain about where he was going with his so-called story, but she waited in silence, anxious to hear some semblance of an explanation.

“The boy’s name was Onigumo,” Naraku continued. “He was raised by very spiritually-powerful parents, and his older sister was a spiritual prodigy.” He scoffed. “Hitomiko was the most powerful miko in the boy’s community, and she was well on her way to being considered one of the most powerful miko in  _ history.” _

Naraku walked forward, slowly milling around Kagome, causing her to spin to keep her eyes on him.

“But Onigumo was born without spiritual powers,” he continued. “His parents never said it, but they hated him. While his sister was growing stronger everyday, Onigumo continued to be unable to develop any sort of power. His parents began to resent him more each day, and Onigumo finally grew tired of the constant hatred being thrown his way. One day, he decided to take matters into his own hands.”

Naraku paused, going silent for a moment before speaking again. “They were so pompous...thinking they were better than everyone else because they could purify youkai. They hated youkai more than anything, so what better way for Onigumo to get his revenge than by recruiting a youkai to do it?”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “You mean...Onigumo got some youkai to kill his family?”

Naraku chuckled. “Oh, no, Kagome. Onigumo wanted to destroy his family himself. There are evil sectors of youkai living among us. They are rare, but they do exist, just as miko communities still exist. Onigumo found one of those sectors and begged them to turn him into a youkai. He desired the power it would give him, and he wanted to use the power his family hated the most to finally destroy them.”

Horror filled Kagome as Naraku spoke.

_ What a horrible situation...that poor boy. All the hate and hurt he grew up with forced him to become something evil… _

“Those youkai told him they could help,” Naraku continued. “But that it wouldn’t be what Onigumo was expecting. Onigumo didn’t care, though. All he wanted was the power. All he wanted was to exact his revenge. And the youkai were right. It didn’t work like he was expecting. Kagome, would you like to know what happened instead?”   


Kagome winced, but nodded.  _ There must be some significance in him telling me this...I can’t just write it off. _

Naraku laughed. “Onigumo’s heart was devoured. All the pain and sadness he felt about his family turned into pure bloodlust. He wanted their deaths because he wanted to  _ kill, _ and that’s just what he did. He went right back to his community and slaughtered everyone there. But when that was done, Onigumo made the grave discovery of what he’d become. He wasn’t the powerful youkai he was expecting.”

Naraku growled. “He had become a hanyo.”   


Kagome’s eyes widened, not having known that was even possible.

“How?” she asked.

“It’s not possible for a human to be turned into a full-youkai,” he replied. “It doesn’t matter if a full-youkai tries it. It won’t work. So Onigumo knew what he needed to do. There was only one thing he knew of that could grant a hanyo the power of casting the human half from his body. All that was left was to figure out how to find it.”

Naraku resumed his pacing around Kagome. “So Onigumo assumed a new identity. He disguised himself as a priest and spent years developing a fake reputation in an attempt to get close to the most powerful Shinto family that was still in existence.”   


Kagome froze.  _ The most powerful Shinto family...that was  _ my _ family. That’s where our famous reputation comes from… _

“Would you like to know what he changed his name to?” Naraku pressed. “What name he chose when he put into play his longings for true, unadulterated power?”

Realization dawned on Kagome.

_ Was it... _ him? _ Is Naraku the person Onigumo turned into? _

“Onigumo became Naraku,” he continued, answering Kagome’s silent question. “And you, Kagome, are my key to achieving the power I have been seeking for  _ years. _ You are the key to lead me to destroying the rest of the spiritual community.”

“How am I your key?”

Naraku met her gaze, evil, red eyes colliding into Kagome’s blue ones.

“The Shikon no Tama.”

Kagome paused. “The...Shikon no Tama? That doesn’t exist anymore. My ancestor destroyed it almost a thousand years ago.”   


_ “Liar!” _ Naraku shouted. “Midoriko died with the jewel. She followed it into death. And you, Kagome, are her reincarnation.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “What? No, I’m not. My family would have told me.”

Naraku chuckled. “Why do you think your father asked me to come train you? When you first began developing your powers, they were much stronger than he had anticipated, and even  _ he _ didn’t feel like he could train you properly. The reputation I built was strong enough to convince him to allow me to become your sensei. I was going to kill you all once I found where you’ve hidden the jewel. When I didn’t find it, I decided to just slaughter you all.”   


He hummed. “But then... _ you _ survived. And how interesting is that? You were doused in gasoline, yet when I threw a match on you, it didn’t kill you. Why?”

Kagome frowned.  _ What is he getting at? I figured I survived because I wasn’t surrounded by flames like my family had been in their beds... _

“Midoriko created and later destroyed the Shikon no Tama,” he said. “But the jewel didn’t disappear. It meshed with her body and was reborn in you.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “What? How could you possibly know all of this?”

“You didn’t think I just used that youkai sector to get power, did you?” he asked. “They were hundreds and hundreds of years old. Two of them existed during the time of Midoriko, and they knew the truth. They don’t even teach you that in your schools.”

Kagome shook her head. “That’s insane! There’s no way that the jewel is inside me!”

Naraku laughed. “Let’s just find out then, shall we?”

Before Kagome knew what was happening, Naraku grabbed her shoulders and roughly shoved her back, thrusting her to the ground hard enough that it knocked the breath out of her.

Naraku was on her in a moment, pulling a knife out of his pocket and gripping it above him.

“I will finally get what I’ve always wanted!” he roared. “Nothing will be able to stop me from gaining the power I desire!”

And then he lunged at Kagome.

The thrust of the knife was white-hot as it impaled her.

She looked down at the protruding blade and back up into cold, red eyes.

_ After all this time, after all these years on the run, is this how it’s going to end? _

As the pain took over, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut.

_ If only I could have seen Inuyasha...one more time. _

To be continued...


	33. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence
> 
> Early update! Since this story is done, I didn’t want to keep you guys waiting. Chapter 34 will be up on Wednesday and Chapter 35 will be up on Friday, so this story will be finished that day instead of Saturday, which was the original plan.
> 
> Also some exciting news…
> 
> Ukiyo: The Baker’s Tale has been nominated in the category Best Angst for Feudal Connection’s 2021 First Quarterly Fandom Awards! Gah!  
> And also…
> 
> My story, The Captain and the Hanyo, has been nominated for Best Action! Woot! 
> 
> If the person who nominated me is reading this, thank you!
> 
> Alright, on with the story!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 33: The Confrontation**

“It’s up there,” Sango said, pointing ahead of her.

Inuyasha leaned forward, looking through the space between Miroku and Sango, and saw some buildings up ahead. They were all rather dilapidated and had obviously been abandoned for quite some time.

“Wow,” Miroku breathed. “This is...not what I was expecting.”

“It’s pretty bad,” Sango agreed. “I didn’t even think it would look like this.”

Before Inuyasha could add on, his entire body jolted.

“I sense Kagome,” he said urgently. “And Naraku, too. Straight ahead.”

Sango nodded. “They’re probably at her old house. That’s my guess.”

A faint scent punched Inuyasha’s senses.

“I smell blood,” he said. “Hurry, Sango.”

Sango sped up, driving through the small community, only slowing down when they reached the ruins of a large building.

“This is her old house,” Sango said as she put the car in park.

“I see someone there!” Miroku said urgently. Inuyasha flung the door open and got out, running toward the figure kneeling in front of the house.

 _That’s Naraku,_ he realized as he ran, _but where’s Kagome?_

Then he looked at the ground at Naraku’s feet.

 _“Kagome!”_ he shouted.

She was curled up on the ground, and the closer Inuyasha got to her, the more he smelled her blood.

Naraku looked up toward them from where he knelt next to Kagome with a knife in one hand and his other clenched in a fist.

Inuyasha charged right toward Naraku and tackled him to the ground, landing a few punches to his face before shoving him away and going back to Kagome.

He fell to his knees next to her, gently rolling her onto her back.

A gasp tore from his throat when he saw her stomach.

She had obviously been torn by the knife to the point that her stomach looked _carved._

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said, reached up to touch her cheek. “Can you hear me?”

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow, but she was still alive.

Inuyasha pulled off his jacket and pressed it on her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding.

“What did you do to her?” he yelled at Naraku.

Naraku sat up, his eyes wild, and raked his hands through his hair.

“It’s not there,” he mumbled. “Where is it? How is it not there? _Where is it?”_

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “Where is _what?”_

“The _jewel_ was supposed to be inside of her!” Naraku shouted. “Why is it not _there?”_

Inuyasha had no idea what he was talking about, but before he could demand answers, a shout rang through the air.

“Hiraikotsu!”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened when a massive boomerang soared through the air, hitting Naraku head-on and knocking him back.

Inuyasha watched as the boomerang returned in the direction from which it came, only to see Sango catch it as she and Miroku ran over to Inuyasha and Kagome.

“What _was_ that thing?” Inuyasha asked.

“It’s the weapon I trained with as a teenager,” Sango said when she reached them. Her eyes dropped onto Kagome. “Kagome! What happened to her?”

“Naraku stabbed her,” Inuyasha said. “She’s alive, though. Do you think that boomerang thing killed him?”

Sango shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m not used to my weapon’s weight anymore so I can’t throw it as well as I used to.” Sango knelt down next to Kagome and moved Inuyasha’s jacket out of the way.

She gasped when she saw the wound. “What was he trying to do to her?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I don’t know. There’s something weird going on. He said there was supposed to be a jewel inside of her but that it’s not there. He was freaking out about it when you hit him.”

Sango paused. “Are you sure he said a jewel?” Inuyasha looked up at her.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Why? Do you know what it might be?”

Sango didn’t answer for a moment. “I’m not sure. We learned about something in school when we were little that sounds like that, but it’s been gone for almost a thousand years.”

Inuyasha frowned. “So why--”

“You worthless girl!” Naraku shouted from where he was limping toward them. “I should’ve killed you along with your horrible father!”

Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu and went to throw it, but Miroku tackled Naraku to the ground before she could.

“Be careful!” Sango called.

“I will!” Miroku called back. “Just take care of Kagome!”

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, whose face was a ghostly pale, and tried to rouse her.

“Kagome, wake up,” he begged. “Can you hear me? It’s Inuyasha. I’m here.”

No response.

Inuyasha bit his lip and exchanged a glance with Sango, who was still trying to do what she could to stop the bleeding on Kagome’s stomach.

“Shi...kon.”

Inuyasha looked back down at Kagome, eyes wide, and reached out to cup her cheek.

“Kagome!” he said as her eyes slowly opened.

“Sango,” she croaked. “Shikon no Tama.”

“Shikon?” Inuyasha repeated. “Like the festival?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the Shikon no Tama,” Sango replied.

Inuyasha nodded. “So now what do we do?”

Sango turned her attention back to Kagome.

“That’s what I thought it was when Inuyasha described it,” she said to Kagome. “Why did Naraku think you had it?”

Kagome’s face contorted in pain. “I’m...Midoriko’s reincarnation. He thought the jewel was reborn in me, but...it wasn’t. Help me up. I have an idea of what to do.”

“Kagome, no,” Inuyasha said, stopping her from trying to sit up. “You’re too injured to move.”

Kagome looked up at him. “I’ll be okay. Just please help me.”

Inuyasha and Sango both put an arm around Kagome to help her rise to standing. Her face twisted in pain the whole time as she clutched her stomach.

Miroku shouted, obviously in pain, so Sango made sure Inuyasha had Kagome before she grabbed her weapon and ran off to help Miroku.

Inuyasha kept his arm around Kagome, wishing that the first time he’d seen her after being apart could have been in a better situation.

“Why are you here?” Kagome murmured, looking up at Inuyasha. “Why did you all come? Naraku will kill you.”

“Like hell I’m gonna let you face Naraku alone,” Inuyasha said firmly. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Kagome took a deep breath and nodded before explaining what happened before Inuyasha had arrived.

“So what do we do?” Inuyasha asked when she finished explaining.

“I think I can purify him,” Kagome replied. “My powers are a lot weaker than they used to be, but I think I can muster up a hit. I just need to get close enough. It’ll turn him back into a human so he should be easier to fight and hopefully take down.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Sango’s weapon seems to have weakened him. Let’s move in.”

Kagome adjusted her grip around his shoulders as they walked toward where Sango was keeping Naraku away with the Hiraikotsu. Miroku was off to the side, lying on the ground and gripping his leg.

“Miroku!” Inuyasha shouted. “Are you okay?”

“I hurt my leg,” he called back. “But don’t worry about me! Focus on Naraku!” Inuyasha bit his lip, wanting to go help his best friend but knowing he couldn’t until Naraku was taken care of.

 _I’m glad Sango doesn’t share her father’s hatred of youkai,_ he thought to himself as he watched her land yet another hit on Naraku. _She would be a pretty scary opponent in battle._

“So he did all this for a jewel?” Inuyasha asked as they slowly moved forward. 

Kagome nodded. “My ancestor destroyed it, but Naraku said it was reborn in me because I’m her reincarnation. The jewel isn’t in me, though.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “So he did this to you for _nothing.”_

Kagome gently tugged on him. “He was horrifically-abused as a child. That’s where all of this is coming from. We just need to keep going. Once Sango lands another hit on Naraku, I need to be there to try and purify him. He wasn’t expecting you all to be here and he’s freaking out about the jewel, so I think he’s a little out-of-sorts from it all.”

Inuyasha nodded and helped Kagome move toward him. 

“You can’t touch me when I do it,” Kagome instructed. “I could purify you, too, so when we reach him, just set me down.”

Inuyasha grit his teeth, not wanting to be away from her but knowing she was right.

Sango had just landed another hit on Naraku, knocking him off his feet, when Inuyasha lifted Kagome up and ran toward him.

Kagome jumped out of his arms when they got close enough, clutching her stomach while reaching out her free hand.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened when he saw a pink light begin to illuminate her hand.

Naraku shouted in protest when he saw the power, but Kagome moved too quickly.

Setting her hand on his chest, she shocked him with a blast of spiritual power that was so strong, a chill ran up Inuyasha’s spine.

Naraku screamed as Kagome kept her hand on him, soon letting go of her stomach to add her other hand.

After a moment, Naraku stopped screaming, and Kagome removed her hands as the light faded.

Naraku didn’t move; he lay motionless on the ground, groaning in pain. Kagome let go of him before she started falling backward.

Inuyasha rushed over and caught her before she could fall. She still had some lingering power coming from her, which shocked him a bit, but it didn’t do any real damage. 

Not like it had with Naraku.

Inuyasha looked down at Naraku, who was still unmoving, and saw that his eyes were wide.

The red color had faded into a soft brown, and he looked utterly defeated. Tears rained from his eyes, and Inuyasha could see the sympathy on Kagome’s face.

“It’s over, Naraku,” Kagome said. “Now that you’re human, we can--”

Naraku cut her off by grabbing her throat, choking her tightly as Kagome tried to gasp for air.

Inuyasha acted on instinct and slashed his claws at Naraku, slicing his arm clean off.

Kagome screamed as Naraku’s blood poured on her and he howled in pain.

Inuyasha yanked the severed arm off of Kagome and threw it to the side, glaring at Naraku as if to dare him to try something stupid like that again.

But Naraku didn’t. The hatred faded from his eyes, only to be replaced by something else.

Naraku looked...wretched.

_Vanquished._

“I failed,” he said nearly inaudibly. “After everything...all the pain...how could I have been wrong? How do you not have it?”

Kagome rubbed her throat, frowning at him, and Inuyasha could already see bruises starting to form on her skin. He growled at Naraku, ready to give him another taste of his claws when Kagome set a hand on Inuyasha’s arm to stop him.

Naraku’s eyes slid shut as his breathing became labored, no doubt from the blood loss of his severed arm combined with the hits he’d taken from Miroku and Sango. Now a human, it was unlikely that he would survive this fight.

“My revenge,” he murmured. “All the pain I suffered...it was all for nothing. Onigumo...failed.”

With that, he took a final breath before he went completely limp.

“He’s dead,” Inuyasha said quietly. 

“I feel sorry for him,” Kagome croaked as she continued to rub her bruised throat. “He suffered so much. I can only hope he found peace in death.”

Sango ran over and dropped down next to Kagome. “What just happened? Are you alright?”

Kagome shook her head and drooped against Inuyasha, her eyes fluttering closed as she fell unconscious.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “Kagome!”

“We need to get her to a hospital,” Sango said, pulling out her phone to call the paramedics. “With those wounds and all the spiritual power she just used, I don’t know how much longer she has. I think Miroku’s leg is broken, too, and I know I sprained my wrist throwing my Hiraikotsu, so we need to get to a hospital as quickly as possible.”

As Sango called an ambulance, Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, his eyes filling with tears, as he worried that his biggest fear was going to happen.

 _Is Kagome going to...die?_ _  
_ O.o.O.o.O

Kagome tried to follow the sound of Inuyasha’s voice, but she was so exhausted from her wounds as well as the intense use of her spiritual power that it was a futile effort.

Everything went dark for a moment until a light appeared.

Two women dressed in traditional miko garb approached her, smiling as they came into Kagome’s view.

“Hello, Kagome.”

There was something familiar about the one who spoke...something Kagome couldn't quite place for a moment.

“Are...are you Midoriko?” she asked.

Midoriko nodded. “I am, and this is Hitomiko.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “You’re Naraku’s sister?”

The woman shook her head. “I was _Onigumo’s_ sister.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Kagome murmured, bowing her head. “He suffered greatly. I feel like part of it was my fault.”

“You have no need to feel that way,” Midoriko said kindly. “He has found peace in death. Dying as a human...you gave that to him.”

Kagome forced a smile despite her confusion at their presence. “I’m honored to meet you both, but...why are you here?”

“We have come to accompany you to eternal rest.”

_Eternal rest?_

“Wait,” Kagome said. “Am I...am I dead?”

Midoriko and Hitomiko donned grave expressions.

“Your injuries were great,” Midoriko explained. “You purified Naraku, but it was at the cost of your life.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears. “But...what about Inuyasha? Is he okay?”

“He is uninjured,” Midoriko replied. “I’m sorry you couldn’t say goodbye.”

“Oh,” Kagome said, her voice shaky. “I didn’t...I didn’t think this would happen. I thought I was stronger than this.”

“You are strong, Kagome,” Hitomiko assured her. “You survived long enough to purify the youkai half of Naraku. In the end, he was able to die as Onigumo. That is thanks to you.”

Kagome choked back a sob. “I see. Now what? Will I see my family?”

Midoriko nodded. “Yes. They’re waiting for you.”

_But Inuyasha…_

Kagome took a deep breath as tears began to fall from her cheeks. “I’m not ready to leave my life behind. It...it feels like it had just started. Inuyasha...”

Midoriko and Hitomiko exchanged a glance.

Kagome closed her eyes and waited for whatever was coming next, whatever Midoriko and Hitomiko would lead her to.

But that didn’t stop the sheer agony she felt in her heart.

To be continued...


	34. The Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: potentially upsetting hospital scenes
> 
> A hundred million thank-yous to Ruddcatha for helping me with the legal aspect of this chapter. Thanks again for putting up with all of my questions, Rudd. You saved me from looking like a real and true idiot! *laughs nervously*
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 34: The Resolution**

Inuyasha kept a firm grip on Kagome’s hand as he rode in the back of the ambulance with her.

They were being taken to the closest hospital to where the shrine had been located. Miroku and Sango were riding in another ambulance having their own injuries treated.

A paramedic was dressing the wound on Kagome’s stomach, and Inuyasha nearly gagged at the sight.

It looked even worse in the light of the ambulance, and Kagome had yet to wake up.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Inuyasha asked the paramedic. The paramedic frowned.

“Her injuries are very serious,” he explained. “I’m so sorry, but I think you should be prepared.”   


Inuyasha grit his teeth and focused his attention back on Kagome’s face.

_ This can’t be how it ends...it just  _ can’t. __

When they arrived at the hospital, Kagome was rushed into surgery while Inuyasha was led to a waiting room.

A nurse came out to ask him questions about what had happened, and Inuyasha wondered how exactly he should go about explaining. The nurse began by asking about Kagome, but Inuyasha knew he would eventually need to tell her about Miroku and Sango, too.

“The patient’s name is Kagome Higurashi?” the nurse asked as she sat down next to Inuyasha.

The hanyo nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”   


“And what is your relationship to Ms. Higurashi?” she asked.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Inuyasha replied. 

His heart clenched.  _ I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose her... _

The nurse nodded. “Okay, can you tell me exactly what happened?”   


Inuyasha explained the fight, but left out the part about the jewel. Instead, he just said that he wasn’t sure why Naraku went after Kagome, figuring it was best to be a bit vague.

When Inuyasha said Naraku’s name, the nurse paused her writing.

“Naraku?” she repeated. Inuyasha nodded.

“The...the fugitive?” she asked.

“Yes,” Inuyasha replied. “He framed Kagome for the murder of her family, and he...wanted to tie up a loose end by killing her, too.”

The nurse shook her head. “Poor girl. That sounds awful.”

For the second time that night, Inuyasha’s throat tightened and his eyes threatened to spill tears, but he gathered himself quickly, clearing his throat as he prepared to answer the rest of the nurse’s questions.

She moved on to asking about Miroku and Sango, and after what felt like hours of talking, she finally announced that she had all of the information she needed and that she would give Inuyasha updates on the others when she could.

When Inuyasha was alone, he took a deep breath and leaned his elbows on his knees, dropping his head into his hands as he tried to figure out what he should do next.

An hour later, the same nurse came back to let Inuyasha know that Miroku had been transferred to a private room and that the hanyo could go see him.

Inuyasha followed her through the hospital until he came up to Miroku’s room. When he entered, he found Sango with her wrist in a brace and Miroku laid out on a hospital bed with his leg in a cast.

“Hey,” Inuyasha greeted. “You guys doing alright?”

Miroku nodded. “They gave me some pretty intense pain medicine. It doesn’t really hurt, but I feel a little out of it. How’s Kagome?”   


Inuyasha looked away. “She’s still in surgery. Sango, how’s your wrist?”

Sango waved him off. “It’s fine. I didn’t even need to be admitted for it.”   


Before they could continue talking, a knock came on Miroku’s door.

“Come in,” he called.

The door opened to reveal two men, both of which had rather serious expressions on their faces.

“Hello,” one of them said. “I’m Detective Okazaki and this is my partner, Detective Furukawa. We’d like to ask you all some questions about what exactly happened tonight.”   


Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango all exchanged glances.

“Okay,” Sango spoke up. “I can explain. I’ll need to start from the beginning, though.”

Detective Furukawa took notes as Sango spoke about Naraku’s arrival at the shrine nearly ten years prior and the abuse Kagome suffered at his hands. She told the detectives about Naraku killing her father, as well as his framing of Kagome as an accomplice of the murder of her family.

“Naraku killed my mother, too,” Inuyasha added. “He’s killed...so many people.”

Detective Furukawa nodded. “They found his body at the scene. He was declared dead on arrival.”   


“Are you going to arrest Kagome?” Inuyasha asked, not wanting any surprises. “She’s innocent. Everything that happened was because of Naraku.”

“As of right now, there is still a warrant for her arrest,” Detective Okazaki explained. “We will conduct an interview with Kagome if she wakes up and we’ll go from there.”

The relief Inuyasha had started to feel quickly faded.

_ He said “if” she wakes up,  _ he realized.  _ Does that mean...he doesn’t think Kagome is going to make it? She has to make it through. I don’t know what I would do without her. And as far as what the detective said about her being arrested...I know her interview will clear her...I  _ have _ to believe that. _

“Wait,” Sango said before the detectives could leave. “Please...don’t handcuff her. She won’t run, I promise. She’s woken up in a hospital with handcuffs before, and…it was really hard on her. She’s suffered so much, and...”

The detectives nodded. “We won’t.”   


Sango sighed in relief. “Thank you.” The detectives gave parting regards before leaving the room.

Inuyasha was still stuck on that little word:  _ if. _

“She’ll wake up, Inuyasha,” Miroku spoke up, reading his mind. “She will. We just need to keep up hope.”   


Inuyasha nodded, but his throat felt too tight to talk.

o.O.o

Much later in the night, nearing dawn, Inuyasha and Sango were asleep on the couch, each laying on one end, finding a friendly comfort in each other. He almost chuckled when he saw her fall asleep practically cuddling his foot.

Miroku was also sleeping, tucked up in his bed, exhausted from his injury as well as his pain medication, when a nurse came in.

“Mr. Takahashi?” the nurse said quietly. Inuyasha’s eyes opened and he sat up on the couch, being mindful not to wake Sango. 

“Yes?” he replied.

“Ms. Higurashi is out of surgery now.”   


Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he jumped up. “Is she awake?”

The nurse shook her head. “No. Let’s talk outside, okay?”

Fearing the worst, Inuyasha followed her out into the hallway, waiting as she closed the door to Miroku’s room.

“I’ll walk you there,” the nurse said as she led Inuyasha down the hall. “Ms. Higurashi’s heart stopped once during the surgery, but they were able to revive her. She’s now stable on a ventilator, but there’s no way to know if she’ll wake up. I’m so sorry.”   


Inuyasha clenched his fists, his throat tightening again as he and the nurse arrived at another room in the intensive care unit.

When he entered the room, he clasped a hand over his mouth at the sight of Kagome.

Her eyes were closed and she had a tube down her throat; Inuyasha figured it was the ventilator the nurse had mentioned.

“I’ll give you some time with her,” the nurse said, her voice sympathetic. “Hit the call button if you need anything.”   


Inuyasha nodded and walked over to the chair in the corner, sliding it over next to Kagome’s bed and sitting down next to her.

He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it, taking in the sight of her, pale and disheveled, as the machines beeped and bumped.

“Oh, Kagome,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry I let this happen. I promised I would protect you and...I should’ve...I should’ve gone with you. I never should have let you go alone.”

He leaned forward and kissed her hand, trying to hold back the emotions he was feeling.

_ Please, Kagome. Please wake up. _

o.O.o

Three days later, Miroku was discharged, but Kagome had yet to wake up.

“Do you want to come home with us?” Sango asked as she stood in Kagome’s room. Miroku was seated in the chair, his crutches propped up on the wall beside him as Sango stood next to him with a hand on his shoulder. “I have to get back to work and I think Miroku would do best recovering at home. He’s going to stay with me at my apartment until he’s a bit more mobile.”

“The bakery will be closed for awhile,” Miroku added. “I called Shippo’s mom yesterday to let her know and she put a sign on the door for us, so we’re in the clear for now.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Alright. I’m going to stay here with Kagome. I don't want to be away from her when she wakes up.”

Sango smiled. “Okay. I’m glad you’re staying. Call me when she wakes up, okay? We’ll come back as soon as we can and we’ll all go home together.”

“Sounds good,” Inuyasha replied. Sango helped Miroku stand up before she walked over to hug Inuyasha tightly.

Once she let go, she walked over to Kagome and placed a quick kiss on her forehead before patting her cheek.

“Bye, guys,” Inuyasha said as they left.

When he was alone with Kagome again, he squeezed her hand.

“It’s just you and me now, baby,” he said softly. “All that’s left is for you to wake up.”

No response.

Her condition had remained the same since she’d gotten out of surgery, but the doctors still warned Inuyasha that it was possible she wouldn’t wake up.

Inuyasha refused to believe it.

So he stayed by her side, sleeping on a cot the nurses had provided, only having left the hospital once to buy a few shirts and underwear. He wasn’t sure how long he would be there, so he wanted to be prepared for any length of time.

Because he would wait. He would wait as long as it took.

O.o.O.o.O

_ “For the peace you gave to Onigumo, we give you your life back.” _

Kagome groaned as she came back into consciousness.

She winced at the bright light that assaulted her eyes once she’d opened them before looking around. Her stomach lurched, causing a wave of pain in the injuries she’d sustained from Naraku.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She was alive. Midoriko and Hitomiko brought her back.

Before she could assess the situation, she felt something hard in her throat and coughed, trying to dislodge whatever was blocking her airway.

A nurse ran in and upon seeing she was awake, hurried to pull the plastic tube from Kagome’s throat.

She felt much better when it was out, but that was when she realized where she was.

She was in a hospital.

_ No, no, no, no…the last time I woke up in a hospital, I was in handcuffs.  _

Biting her lip, she looked down at her hands and saw that they were unrestrained. She frowned, confused but relieved, as she tried to figure out what was happening.

_ Naraku is gone,  _ she pondered.  _ I’m safe from him, but what about the crimes he pinned on me? _

“Ms. Higurashi,” the nurse said kindly. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” she croaked, her throat feeling scratchy. “Um...can I please have some water?"

The nurse nodded and got her a cup, filling it with water before handing it to her. 

Kagome thanked her and guzzled the water down, relishing in the coolness of the liquid going down her sore throat.

“I’m sorry,” the nurse began, “but I do need to send in some detectives to speak with you after I take your vitals.” Kagome froze.

“Okay,” she replied.  _ Just stay calm...just stay calm… _

The nurse went about taking Kagome’s vitals before she left the room. A moment later, two men who she assumed were the detectives walked in.

“Ms. Higurashi,” one of them greeted. “My name is Detective Okazaki and this is my partner, Detective Furukawa. I hope you’re feeling better. I apologize that we have to bother you in the hospital like this, but we need to ask you some questions about the situation that transpired a week ago.”   


Kagome’s eyes widened. “A  _ week?” _

Detective Okazaki nodded. “You suffered some very serious injuries. You had a long and rather difficult surgery. The doctor mentioned it was touch-and-go at several points, so your body had a lot of recovering to do.”   


“What about the people who were with me?” she asked. “Where are they?”

“They’ve gone back to the city,” Detective Furukawa explained. “You’re in the hospital closest to where the incident occured, which I believe is quite a distance away from the city.”   


Kagome nodded, her eyes filling with tears.  _ I wish I could be closer...I miss them. I miss Inuyasha… _

“The nurse said one of them is still here,” the detective continued. “He’s in the restroom having a shower. Would you like to wait for him to finish before we start the questions? Given that you’re unable to be moved from the hospital, we will conduct the interview here.”

“Am I going to be arrested?” Kagome asked immediately. “The warrant…”

The detectives exchanged a glance. “We want to interview you first and then we’ll go from there. Would you like to wait to begin the questioning until your friend returns to the room?”

“No, let’s start now,” she requested. “I’d like to get it over with as soon as possible, with all due respect.”

The detectives nodded and asked her to recount the tale of what had happened, beginning with the day Naraku had entered her life as a child.

Kagome was in the middle of telling them about the night she’d purified Naraku when Inuyasha opened the bathroom door and emerged into the room.

He frowned when he caught sight of the detectives, but when his gaze landed on Kagome, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.   


“You’re awake!” he exclaimed.

“I am,” Kagome chirped. “They’re questioning me right now, though, to determine...what happens next.”   


Inuyasha nodded and came to sit down next to Kagome as she continued her tale.

“Well,” Detective Okazaki said when she was done. “Given your interview as well as what Sango told us, we’re going to speak with a judge and recommend the warrant for your arrest to be dropped. We can’t make any solid promises, but I think the odds are in your favor. That being said, especially with you still being in the hospital, we will not be arresting you today.”   


Kagome couldn’t help it; she burst into tears.

After so long, she was finally on her way to being  _ free. _

“Thank you,” Kagome croaked. 

The detectives left soon after, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone in the room.

Once they were gone, Kagome smiled brightly at him and opened her arms.

“Come here, honey,” she said warmly.

Inuyasha carefully lay down next to her, allowing her to guide him so he wouldn’t jostle her injuries. He placed a few kisses on the top of her head before meeting her gaze.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. “How’s your stomach?”

Kagome nodded against him. “I'm fine. The pain is the worst in my throat from the breathing tube, but my stomach is feeling okay. I’m even better now. How are Miroku and Sango?”

“Miroku broke his leg,” Inuyasha replied. “Sango sprained her wrist. They’re okay, though. They’re back home.”   


Kagome’s eyes widened. “Oh, no...I’m so glad they’re okay.”

Inuyasha gently ran his hand up and down her arm, and Kagome could tell he wanted nothing more than to just touch her and remind himself that she was there. 

“I missed you,” she said. “And I don't just mean since I've been in the hospital.”

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head. “I missed you, too.”

Kagome felt him inhale her scent, so she leaned up to press a quick kiss to the underside of his jaw when she felt something drop onto her forehead.

Looking up at him, her eyes widened when she saw the tears falling from his eyes.

“Inuyasha,” she murmured, reaching up to lay a hand on his cheek.

Inuyasha sniffled. “Sorry,” he said gruffly as he wiped his eyes. “I’ve managed to keep it together this whole time, but seeing you awake when the doctors kept saying it might not happen...it’s a little overwhelming.”   


Kagome sighed. “I know, honey. But I’m okay. I...I wasn’t at first. I really did die, but Midoriko and Hitomiko saved me. I wasn’t ready to leave this life.” She gently kissed his lips. “I wasn’t ready to leave  _ you.” _

He took a deep breath, trying to gather himself. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t there to protect you. I never should have let you go alone or--”   


“Sh,” Kagome interrupted gently. “What’s done is done. Everything is alright now, okay?”

Inuyasha nodded and pulled her back against him as they fell into silence.

Eventually, Kagome realized that her mouth felt...fuzzy. And more than a little gross.

“Um,” she began. “Do you think you could, uh, get me a toothbrush?”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Sure. I grabbed your bag before we left in the ambulance. Do you have one in there?”   


Kagome nodded, blushing lightly. “And toothpaste, too.”

Inuyasha carefully got out of the bed to dig around in her overnight bag for her toothbrush and some toothpaste. When he found it, Kagome sat up carefully and reached for him. “Can you help me up please?”

Inuyasha came over to help her rise from the bed and walk to the bathroom.

He put the toothpaste on the brush for her and helped keep her steady as she began to brush her teeth.

When she finished, he got her a cup of water to swish and spit out the excess toothpaste.

“I feel so much better,” she said after Inuyasha wiped her face with a towel.

He kissed her deeply, albeit a bit quickly, before pulling away and grinning widely.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “That’s  _ much _ better.”

Kagome laughed. “Hey, cut me some slack. I’ve been asleep for a week.” She groaned. “I’m  _ dying _ to have a shower.”   


“Do you want to do that now?” he asked. Kagome shook her head.

“No,” she replied. “I’ll have to ask the nurse if I’m even able to shower with my bandages. I might have to get one of those sponge-bath things.”

“That’ll be a sight to see,” Inuyasha commented. Kagome laughed again and gently tugged on him.

“Can you help me back to the bed?” she requested. Inuyasha nodded and tightened his arm around her as he guided her back.

Once she was settled under the blankets with Inuyasha curled up against her, he asked a question she wasn’t quite expecting.

“So what will you do now?”

Kagome paused. “I don’t know,” she admitted. She looked up at Inuyasha. “Can I come back to the city with you? I think...I think it’s become home to me.  _ You’ve _ become home, Inuyasha.”

The hanyo smiled. “Of course you can come home with me. I don’t ever want you away from me again.”

Kagome smiled back at him. “I think I can live with that.”

Inuyasha’s hand came up to gently tug a rather large knot in her hair.

“I’ll brush your hair later after it’s washed,” he said, gently running his claws through the tangle. “I think you could use a little extra detangler first.”

Kagome hummed. “I love you.” Inuyasha smiled and leaned down to kiss her, sliding his hand onto her cheek to steady her.

He kept it light, but no less passionate than what Kagome was used to.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close as she kissed him back, parting her lips, inviting him in for a taste.

“I’m so glad you had a toothbrush,” he murmured against her mouth.

Kagome laughed into the kiss, never breaking it, as she lost herself in the sensations of Inuyasha.

She loved the softness of his lips, the firm feeling of his body, the warm taste of his mouth.

So caught up was she in Inuyasha’s touches, she’d twisted too hard. Pulling away to hiss in pain, Kagome winced.

“Are you okay?” Inuyasha asked as he leaned back to look at her. Kagome nodded and set a hand on her bandaged stomach.

“Yeah, just moved a bit too much,” she said. She looked up at him sheepishly. “I guess I’ll have a few more scars from this…”

Inuyasha hummed and reached up to cup her cheek. “Yeah,” he agreed. “But that just means there’s a little more to kiss.” Proving his point, he leaned down and brushed his lips against the scars on her cheeks. “And a little more to love.”

When the tears started to fall at his words, Inuyasha wiped them away and carefully settled her against him again.

And in that moment, Kagome knew she would never be without him.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter was so freaking hard to write, dude. I love how it turned out, but man was it a tough one.
> 
> Anyway, only the epilogue is left and then this story will officially be complete!


	35. The Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten Years Later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The end. Gah.
> 
> Kagura is OOC but I don’t care because I love her and she deserves some happiness, too.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 35: The Epilogue**

“Why do they even need to have a big wedding like this?” Inuyasha complained, tugging at the collar of his dress shirt. Despite the lightness of the fabric, the warmth of the day was still bothering him a bit. “They had that little courthouse thing. Why bother having another?”

“It’s their ten-year anniversary, honey,” Kagome reminded him. “They’re renewing their vows. But Kagura did say it was like pulling teeth to try and convince Sesshomaru to do it.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “I’m not surprised by that. I don’t know why he tried to get her to change her mind in the first place. It’s not like he ever says no to her.”

“That’s because she’s so  _ nice,” _ Kagome insisted. “I would probably say yes to whatever she wanted, too.”

Inuyasha couldn’t deny that she was right. 

His sister-in-law had been the first to reach out after Sesshomaru finally told her about the phone call with Inuyasha.

Ever since then, Kagura had made a point to keep in touch, going as far as to keep the phone on speaker so Sesshomaru could hear the conversations she had with Inuyasha and Kagome at least twice a week.

Kagome and Kagura got along well, too, and their friendship had really blossomed over the years. This was Inuyasha and Kagome’s third trip to Germany over the last ten years, and even though it was only the fourth time they’d gotten to actually meet Kagura in person, one of which being at the very small wedding Kagome and Inuyasha had eight-and-a-half years earlier, they had a special relationship with her.

“I’m just glad they scheduled it before my third trimester,” Kagome said. “I would’ve been so disappointed if we weren’t able to come.”   


Inuyasha smiled and gave a quick, affectionate rub to the bump of Kagome’s stomach. She’d just hit the five month mark of her pregnancy, so they’d barely been able to to make it before it was no longer medically-safe for her to fly to Germany for the ceremony.

“Kagura probably would’ve rescheduled the whole thing,” Inuyasha pointed out. “We all know how much she loves you.”   


Kagome laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She wanted an outdoor spring wedding, though. I’m glad she got it, even though it definitely is a lot warmer than I was expecting.”

Music began to ring out in the air around them, signifying that the ceremony was about to start.

It was a simple affair, with no bridesmaids or groomsmen; it was just Kagura and Sesshomaru, with Sesshomaru’s mother and Kagura’s parents and sister, Kanna, sitting in the row in front of Kagome and Inuyasha. Sesshomaru might be a bit more civil toward Inuyasha, but his mother still hadn’t come around quite yet.

Kagura found Inuyasha and Kagome in the crowd while she and Sesshomaru walked down the aisle and smiled brightly at them.

“She looks beautiful,” Kagome murmured. “I’m glad she chose that dress. She liked the other one she was considering, but the one she’s wearing was my favorite.”

When they reached the end of the aisle, Sesshomaru and Kagura turned to face each other and took one another’s hands.

“I’ll never get used to seeing Sesshomaru show someone affection,” Inuyasha whispered. “It’s...weird.”

Kagome smiled and gently nudged him.

The ceremony was conducted completely in German, so Inuyasha and Kagome were a bit lost as it went on.

“Can you understand anything they’re saying?” Kagome asked Inuyasha quietly.

Inuyasha shrugged. “No idea. I’m just glad Kagura speaks Japanese so we can at least talk to her.”

Inuyasha had to agree. They’d been completely shocked when Kagura called them for the first time and spoke fluent Japanese. She also spoke German due to her being born and raised in Germany, but her parents hailed from Japan, which was an initial bonding point between her and Sesshomaru, so she also spoke Japanese fluently.

It was a rather short ceremony, but it was lovely despite the fact that Inuyasha and Kagome couldn’t understand a single word.

When it was over, Inuyasha helped Kagome stand up so they could make their way into the reception hall. Kagura dragged Sesshomaru over to them as soon as she caught sight of their table, and she pulled them into tight hugs.

“I’m so glad you could come!” she exclaimed as she hugged them. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.” She grinned at Sesshomaru. “Right, my dear?”

Sesshomaru nodded. “Thank you both for coming. Are you and the child well, Kagome?”

Kagome nodded. “We certainly are, oni-san. The baby was very well-behaved during the ceremony.”

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both grimaced at Kagome’s use of “oni-san.” Inuyasha had tried to tell her it was weird, but it had become a joke with her and Kagura. Kagura called Inuyasha “oni-san” as well, and the two women always seemed to get a kick out of it.

They talked a bit more before Sesshomaru and Kagura departed to take their seats before the reception began.

And even Inuyasha had to admit it was a pleasant day.

o.O.o

Later that night as Inuyasha and Kagome lay in their bed at the hotel, Inuyasha ran his hand over Kagome’s stomach.

“We should call her ‘the baker’s baby,’” Kagome teased lightly. “I know we picked Moroha as a name, but ‘the baker’s baby’ is cute, too.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “I prefer Moroha. With her running around the bakery once she starts walking, I’m sure everyone will know who she is. I just hope she looks like you.”

Kagome hummed. “I have a feeling she’ll be the perfect mix of us.”   


Inuyasha kissed her forehead. “You know what? Me, too.”

Moroha had come as a miraculous surprise to them; after Kagome’s extensive abdominal injuries from the fight with Naraku, her doctor had said a pregnancy would be very unlikely, but eight years after they got married, Kagome discovered she was pregnant, so they’d scrambled to try and babyproof the apartment as quickly as possible.

Miroku had long since moved in with Sango after their own wedding barely six months after they defeated Naraku. As soon as his leg had healed and he’d gotten the cast taken off, he’d proposed to Sango. They now had three children, two twins and a boy, and the kids were more than excited that their Uncle Inuyasha and Aunt Kagome were having a baby of their own.

Things were calm and peaceful, and as they fell asleep that night, Inuyasha reflected on the last decade of his life and the beauty of what they’d created during those years.

_ It’s perfect,  _ he mused before succumbing to slumber with Kagome curled up against him. 

And so ends the baker’s tale.

**FIN.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are. We’ve finally finished Ukiyo: The Baker’s Tale! 
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! It’s been a blast to write.
> 
> I’m sending much love to all of you!


End file.
